Premium ready meals brand Charlie Bigham’s claims to have become the first manufacturer to successfully eliminate all edible food waste across its production process.
The company announced the “milestone” today in a new impact report on the sustainability of its London and Somerset sites, after developing what it said were a number of pioneering processes to eliminate food waste.
The company said the elimination of waste had been carried out by measures including rescuing and redistributing surplus sauces, donating chicken wings that would otherwise have gone to waste in the supply chain, and saving pastry offcuts from pie casings to be remixed into dough.
The measures were developed in partnership with charity partners including FareShare, The Coronation Food Project, City Harvest and FoodCycle.
Since August 2025, Charlie Bigham’s kitchens have produced no edible food waste, with the new processes meaning the company has donated the equivalent of 350,000 meals as well as 148 tonnes of surplus food and ingredients to charities fighting food poverty.
The milestone is believed to be an industry first in British food production companies, many of whom ensure no production waste goes to landfill. Charlie Bigham’s said its zero-edible-food-waste pledge went a step further.
“At Charlie Bigham’s we’ve always believed that good food should be eaten and enjoyed – never wasted. Particularly in an age where food poverty is prevalent, the need for food banks is only growing and, appallingly, we are still seeing people going hungry,” said CEO Patrick Cairns.
“We didn’t see food waste as just an operational challenge; we saw it as an opportunity to do good, to innovate, and to unite our team behind a purpose bigger than profit. We are extremely proud of this major milestone – an industry first – as part of our continued commitment to people, purpose and planet.”
Mary Parsons, head of food at City Harvest, said: “Charlie Bigham’s commitment to ensuring no good food goes to waste is making a real and immediate difference to the communities we support.
“The quality and volume of the meals and ingredients they provide help us deliver nutritious food to people facing food insecurity across London. Partnerships like this show how the food industry can be a powerful force for good, turning surplus into something that brings dignity, nourishment and hope.”
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