A food project launched by a teenager during the Covid lockdown is now helping up to 1,000 people a week across east Devon and south Somerset.

Foodsave was set up in December 2020 by Jake, then aged 18, and has since grown into a vital source of food support for communities across the region.

Over the festive period alone, around 1,000 people who might otherwise have gone without were able to enjoy a Christmas meal, thanks to the efforts of Jake and his father, Pete.

On Christmas Eve, the pair made a three-hour round trip to FareShare South West’s Bristol hub and partner charity Exeter Food Action to collect good-quality surplus food for distribution.

“Christmas Eve is our busiest day of the year,” said Jake.

“We’ll give away around two-and-a-half tonnes on that day alone to about 1,000 people because, ultimately, food waste doesn’t stop for Christmas and people still need to eat.”

Reflecting on the early days of the project, Jake said the scale of need became clear very quickly.

“I’ll always remember when we first started in early December 2020, in the middle of Covid, and we hadn’t really grasped what we were doing,” he said.

“But a lady came in with a newborn baby and said, ‘I’ll just take one or two items. I don’t want much.’

“We had quite a lot for her. We gave her the food and she started crying. She said, ‘Thank you. This has basically saved my life.’

“That’s why we keep doing it, because we know there are people in that situation. If people don’t step up and help, using food that is readily available and shouldn’t be going in the bin, then what’s the point?”

Working with FareShare South West, Foodsave collects surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and then redistributes it locally.

“We’ve worked very closely with FareShare South West for about five years now,” said Jake. “Their work is invaluable. It keeps us going because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to serve the people that we do in Exeter, east Devon and south Somerset.”

The project runs in six locations across Devon and Somerset.

“In Honiton, we make about 120 food parcels every week,” said Jake. “We also have a community fridge there, which sees around 30 to 40 people a day.

“In Hemyock and Beer, we see about 10 percent of the village coming through. At Exeter University, we see as many people as the food we’ve got, because there are so many students.”

Foodsave operates on an open-access basis, and places strong emphasis on the environmental benefits of reducing food waste.

Speaking on Christmas Eve, Jake said the period offered a key opportunity to collect surplus from businesses closing for the holidays.

“We’re very happy to be in Bristol, and we’re grateful to FareShare South West for the amount of surplus food they’re able to provide through their networks,” he said.

Pete added: “Jake’s not very egotistical, but this was my son’s lockdown project when he was 18. I’m extremely proud of him.”