The Bread Project Charitable Trust (The Bread Project) has baked and delivered more than 100,000 fresh sourdough loaves and fruit buns through community partnerships with the New Zealand Food Network (NZFN) and other local foodbanks and charities.
The initiative takes a planned approach to food donation, building it into the core of the business rather than relying on surplus or near-expiry stock, as is common in traditional food rescue. Driven by Bread & Butter Bakery, it dedicates part of its production to provide hundreds of loaves of fresh, naturally fermented sourdough to NZFN and Auckland City Mission, which distribute them through their networks.
“The Bread Project was established to expand on a commitment to making real bread accessible to more people – regardless of circumstance,” said Bread & Butter’s co-owner, Simon Henis.
“This bread isn’t surplus, it’s made intentionally to the same high standards as the retail products we supply to cafés, restaurants and shops through the North Island.”
Since launching in November, co-owner Aidan Kenealy said that the company has surpassed its initial goal of donating 1,000 loaves per weekday, delivering about “80,000kg’s worth of fresh, nourishing bread to those who need it most”.
NZFN, a national food rescue organisation, currently receives almost 2,000 items from The Bread Project each week in a mix of sourdough loaves and fruit bun packs, which are redistributed across the North Island.
Nutritious bread has reached 33 Food Hubs throughout New Zealand, covering 23 cities across eight regions. Feedback from community partners has been highly positive.
“It’s very meaningful to receive intentional donations like this, where the food is made exclusively for the purpose of helping people,” said Gavin Findlay, chief executive of NZFN.
“Demand for food support continues to rise, and this kind of intentional donation is an inspiration to the wider corporate sector. We know times are challenging for everyone, but if business leaders could take a moment to think about how we could work together to give back to the community, the collective impact would be huge.”