A shop that delivered ‘cracking bargains’ to York has shut after only three months.
Surplus To Purpose only opened at Spark York in January.
It saved waste by intercepting surplus food and selling it at low prices both online and at its physical stores.
It opened a shop at Spark to go alongside those in Leeds and Bradford.
Surplus To Purpose sold everything from fruit and veg to frozen food, tins, drinks, crisps and chocolate, all at rock bottom prices.
Examples included a packed of McVitie’s Digestives Gold for 50p, and packets of crisps, tins of soup and cans of Prime energy drinks all for 10p each.
The food would vary from day to day and week to week, depending on what surplus produce they sourced.
It opened from 9am to 4pm six days a week. But on Saturday the team behind it announced that the York shop was closing.
“It is with a heavy heart to say that our time at Spark York has come to an end,” they said on Facebook.
“Spark York was a three-month trial to see what it would be like to operate in a new area and be part of a wider ecosystem for local social enterprises.
“In the last three months, we’ve loved getting to know the local community, building our team, and saving food waste!
“A huge thank you goes to the Spark York vendors and team who’ve supported our mission and been there for us during our time there.”
Its decision to go dismayed customers.
One said: “So sad that York is losing one of the services that has helped so many people. I really hope that somehow you would reconsider location as sometimes like the programme says location location location is the key.”
And another wrote: “I’ve visited four or five times and had some cracking bargains: plums, chillies, ready meals, snacks and soup. I opened my bargain jar of mayonnaise only yesterday.”
Surplus To Purpose said the Leeds and Bradford shops would continue along with its online store, and that people could still get bargain surplus food via the General Store in Spark.
