The Pret Foundation
The Pret Foundation is a 501(c)(3) independently registered charity, that works with shelters and food banks to feed those in need. Its aim, as it has always been, is the alleviation of poverty, hunger and homelessness. What started out as just a handful of donated sandwiches from Pret's very first shop in London, has now grown to millions of food items donated across cities around the world. This tremendous effort ensures as much unsold food as possible is given to people who really need it instead of ending up in the bin.
Food Donation
The Pret Foundation is proud to support local food rescue organizations and helps those in need by donating Pret's unsold food at the end of each day. Our partners arrive at our shops every night to collect and deliver this food to various food shelters and food banks. Together with our food rescue partners in the U.S., we are able to donate around 500,000 food items annually to feed the hungry in our local communities.
Last year, we donated over 779,000 food items.
Charity Partners & Initiatives
The Pret Foundation partners with local food rescue organizations in each city that Pret operates in. With their support, we are able to donate our unsold food 365 days a year. From everyone at Pret and The Pret Foundation, thank you.
City Harvest
City Harvest is New York City's largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the more than 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. City Harvest rescues food and delivers it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens and other community partners across NYC's five boroughs. Since 2000, The Pret Foundation has helped City Harvest rescue over 5 million pounds of nutritious food.
Food Connect
Food Connect is a nonprofit technology organization making it easier to bridge the gap between surplus food and hunger, by matching available resources with local food banks and shelters to provide food for those in need. Since Partnering with Food Connect in 2018, The Pret Foundation has been able to donate over 39,000 food items to local community soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries in Philadelphia.
Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, believes a healthy community starts with food. The Food Depository strives to end hunger by connecting our neighbors with healthy food and advancing solutions that address the root causes of hunger in Chicago and Cook County suburbs.
Food Rescue US - DC
Food Rescue US - DC is the DMV branch of Food Rescue US, a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing food waste and fighting hunger. Since 2016, the DC site has redirected over 12 million pounds of surplus food from local businesses to nonprofit agencies, addressing critical food insecurity in the greater Washington region. Using the Food Rescue US app, their volunteers sign up to transport food with their own vehicles or bikes, directly contributing to the wellbeing of their community.
Rescuing Leftover Cuisine
Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC) is a national nonprofit food rescue organization that redistributes excess food to people experiencing food insecurity. RLC crowdsources community members as Rescuers who use our purpose-built web application to redistribute food from businesses to nearby nonprofits. Since 2013, RLC has redistributed over 18 million pounds of excess food to our nonprofit partners.