Matsentralen Kitchen is a collaborative project where single-serving ready meals are prepared from surplus food sourced from selected supermarkets and the food bank in Oslo. The meals are distributed to people in need through non-profit organizations providing food relief in the city and metropolitan area. The project is a cooperation between a supermarket chain, the local food bank, and non-profit organizations that either prepare or redistribute the food.
The concept is a win–win–win situation. By rescuing, preparing, and distributing surplus food, the project maintains and increases the value of the food. The ready meals reach homeless people or those without access to a kitchen, helping them secure basic nutritional needs. In addition, the project helps supermarkets reduce food waste by redirecting surplus—such as a stale carrot—from the waste bin to the kitchen.
Thanks to the project, the food bank is also able to rescue larger volumes of surplus food, particularly products originally destined for commercial kitchens, such as large containers of sauces. Last but not least, the project contributes to social inclusion and a valuable everyday life for many by offering people who have fallen outside the ordinary workforce an opportunity to gain work experience in a professional kitchen, as well as in food collection and delivery.
The project started in Oslo in May 2020 and has been a success since then. In the first phase, the ingredients came exclusively from the food bank in Oslo. From February 2021, the project expanded to also include surplus food from supermarkets.
This report is the result of data collection, observations, and interviews with the actors involved in the project.