Just Zilch

We are New Zealand’s longest running free store.

Our purpose

Together we rescue food, to serve our community and care for our planet

Our vision

  • Lead and champion the food rescue conversation nationwide
  • Improve food security in our community
  • Strive for restorative environmental impact

What we do

More than 619,836 people have received food from us since we began in 2011! We have done 529,707 transactions (updated May 2024).

Our team of more than 100 volunteers is committed to kaitiakitanga – together we look after our resources.

We have removed more than  9.55 million food items from the waste stream. That’s more than 3,343 tonnes of food (at an average of 350g per item)

On average we give away approximately $85,000 worth of food each week.

We support an average 345 people every day, who in turn support a further two people in the home – that’s about 1200-1400 people a day!

We distribute food to about non-government organisations, we currently have about 140 registered community groups, from Otaki to Rotorua to Hastings and across to New Plymouth and everywhere in between by providing them with food on a regular basis which they, in turn, give to the people they support and help.

The only thing we ask of our customers is that they are considerate of others and only take what they need.