Become a Pantry Member

You are welcome to visit during opening times and discover more about Pantry Membership and see first hand what is on offer. There is no requirement to prove income and people can join purely on trust.

The team are very welcoming and helpful and many members who come to Poole Pantry have never had any formal support before.  The team can point you in the right direction if you need additional support.

Poole Pantry provides food from FareShare, supermarkets, other retailers and manufacturers with surplus food, at a fraction of the retail price and also help to reduce food waste. The Pantry is for anyone on a low income, to help them eat a balanced and nutritional diet. Poole Pantry is a project run by Poole Community Exchange in collaboration with many partners whose charitable aims are to reduce inequality and social exclusion.

BENEFITS FOR YOU:

By becoming a Pantry Member you could save over £500 a year on your food bills, plus benefit from the community’s support and social connections.

USING THE PANTRY:
The Poole Pantry is at Parkstone United Reformed Church, Commercial Road, BH14 0JW, Poole (on M1/M2 bus route, opposite Tyreland Parkstone).

The opening times are updated on the bottom of this page.

Membership allows you to:

• Come and choose up to 10 items for a suggested donation of £5 (please speak to us if this is unaffordable).
• In addition, to choose up to 2 items of bakery for 50p or a carrier bag full for £1 when stocks allow, and an additional mixed fruit /veg bag for £1.50.
• Included in this offer are Red Star items worth over £2 each and Blue Star items worth over £1 each (max 3 of both per customer).
  Other items not starred – no limits.

• Our food comes from different sources therefore varies each week.
• Look out for special offers.
• To ensure the Members get a fair share of available stock, we may have to limit specific items per customer.
• Members must show their Membership card and make payment to a Pantry Assistant on attendance.
• To comply with food safety regulations stipulated by the Pantry providers, you must bring and use the freezer bag (the first reusable freezer bag will be provided by Poole Pantry, if lost or damaged this may be purchased from the Pantry). Failure to do so will prevent you from accessing chilled and frozen food on the day.

Chilled foods are designed to be stored at refrigeration temperatures below 8oC (optimum 5oC maximum), and need to be kept chilled in transit and then in a fridge, to safely meet their shelf life. If they are not properly chilled and stored, bacteria can multiply. When food is frozen, it must be kept at a negative temperature.

We keep food frozen because it keeps it for longer, but it makes a big difference what temperature we store it at.

For their own safety and following FareShare safety requirements, Members must also provide an up-to-date temperature reading from their fridges and freezers (we can provide thermometers). For food to be supplied by us, the fridge’s temperature must measure between 2 and 4 degrees Celsius and freezers must measure between minus 18 and minus 23 degrees Celsius.

FOOD INFORMATION:
• Please read the Poole Pantry food sheet.
• It is the responsibility of Membership to ensure that Members check the food ingredients for any intolerance or allergies they may have from the food products. PCE can take no responsibility for reactions caused.
• The Pantry may receive some food products that come without labelling, in this case, the Pantry will try, to the best of their ability, to provide the list of ingredients on a separate ingredients list.
• The Pantry may stock items which are past their ‘’best before’’ date. ‘’Best before’’ is about the quality not the safety. When this date has passed it does not mean that the food will be harmful, but it may have lost some of its flavour or texture.
• Wash or sanitise the packaging and all unpacked food before eating.
• Use your sense of smell and the look of the food before eating it. If in doubt, don’t eat it!

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
• To keep the Poole Pantry running and affordable, we expect, whenever possible, for Members to volunteer to help for 1 session per month. This also enables Members to gain a better understanding, and input, into how the Pantry is run.
• If you would like to donate food items, have a look at the Poole Pantry sheet, to see what we can accept in the future. In the future, we hope to provide activities and advice to assist with problems of housing, employment, and other needs.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION:
• Using the Pantry Membership is free.
• We need proof of name and address for membership traceability, e.g. utility bill etc.
• Membership entitles you to one visit per week although the community fridge can be visited free. Ask a team member for opening times.
• Membership is restricted to one per household.
• Membership allows you to have one basket of 10 items a week, for £5.00.
• The Poole Pantry reserves the right to cancel or refuse the Membership. Examples include: if you don’t use Pantry regularly; you move away from the area; you are abusive to Pantry volunteers and/or customers; if you sell on Pantry items.
• If Membership is cancelled due to non-attendance you can reapply, but you may be placed on a waiting list.
• Membership is reviewed every 3 months.
• Your Membership card must not be shared with anyone else. Only someone from your household may come down and use it on your behalf unless you have previously agreed a substitute with Mark Phillips, Catherine Phillips, or other authorised member of staff.
• If lost or damaged, the Membership card will only be replaced once.

HOW TO HELP US KEEP YOU SAFE:
• Numbers inside the Pantry will be limited and Members are expected to observe the 2 metre social distancing rule at all times.
• Use the hand sanitiser before entering, and please wear some form of nose / mouth covering.
• Please do not come to the Pantry if you have any Covid symptoms. We may be able to deliver to you under these circumstances.
• If you have children with you, please keep everyone together.
• Please make sure you queue outside 2 metres apart when collecting food as directed