Each Friday, Hertfordshire Zoo receives its weekly Ocado delivery. But this isn’t a standard grocery delivery intended for staff. Instead, it’s delivering a bundle of fruits and vegetables destined for some of the zoo’s hungriest – and most discerning – VIP residents.
The zoo is just one of the animal charity partners Ocado Retail donates food surplus to – fresh produce that can no longer be sold or donated to other charity partners such as food banks. This includes damaged items such as bruised or split fruit, or perishable products returned by customers.
These food surplus donations play an important role in Ocado’s wider sustainability efforts. In its 15-year long partnership with Hertfordshire Zoo, Ocado’s donations have helped feed over 50 species every week, including Sun Bears, Meerkats and Camels to name but a few. It also saves the zoo an estimated £30,000 each year on feeding costs – money that is reinvested into conservation projects and habitat improvement.
Each week zookeepers sort the produce from the deliveries to suit each animals’ specific diets and preferences. And just like humans, our animal friends all have their particular favourites – lemurs love sweet potatoes, capybaras crave sweetcorn, meerkats munch on celery, and the bears can’t resist melons.
Tyler Whitnall is a conservationist and Managing Director at Hertfordshire Zoo, where he grew up alongside his two brothers. He says: “We’re really grateful that our animals have been able to enjoy such a wide variety of their favourite fruits and veggies over the years thanks to our long-standing partnership with Ocado. And it’s especially rewarding knowing that food that could have otherwise gone to waste is instead making our animals happy and healthy.”
Simon Hinks, Ocado Retail’s Product Director, says: “Reducing food surplus and increasing its redistribution has always been a huge focus for Ocado. Our priority is always to get this surplus food onto people’s plates. But when it can’t be donated for people to eat, it’s feeding other mouths instead! Our programme is a win-win for all involved and a glimpse into how thoughtful supply chain solutions can create real-world impact – not just for people, but also for the planet and the animals we share it with.”
A typical weekly menu for Hertfordshire Zoo’s residents:
- Capybaras: sweetcorn, sweet potato, little gem lettuce
- Tapirs: sweet potato, beetroot, sweetcorn, butternut squash
- Lemurs: carrot, little gem, sweet potato, celeriac
- Meerkats: cucumber, celery, peppers
- Camels: carrots
- Bears: melons and tomatoes
