How Olio Is Redefining Food Sharing in the UK and Beyond

By Mihika Wagle (11/22/25) — London, UK

Food Waste. The problem is on everyone’s mind in the green space right now. With ⅓ of the food produced in the world being wasted, food waste is a global issue that affects a variety of people. In London alone, nearly 2 million tons of food waste are generated annually.

As I headed into Sainsbury’s to buy my weekly groceries, I couldn’t help but feel disheartened while picking up my usual loaf of bread. The one that never ended up being finished. My friends here had the same issue; every week, expiry dates were short, time was short, and cooking time was long. As much as we tried to use up our groceries, at the end of the week, there was always food to throw out. As it turns out, Tessa Clarke noticed the same issue. 

A History of Olio

Tessa Clarke grew up on a dairy farm in Yorkshire and was always aware of the work that went into producing the food we get easy access to in grocery stores. When she was moving houses later in her life, she had a moment of realization when she noticed that her fridge was still completely stocked. Exasperated, she tried to give out the groceries to people in the neighbourhood, which sparked an idea. 

Olio: an app designed to mitigate the food waste problem in the UK through food sharing. Olio started small, as a WhatsApp group chat with 12 people in it. Soon, however, it became clear that the best way to create an app was to spread its impact.

How it works

Olio’s greatest strength is its simplicity. A user simply has to open the app, set their location (which isn’t shared with other users to maintain privacy), and find users near them who have uploaded items for free pickup - such as leftover food or unused groceries.

They offer a basic and premium plan, with the option to pay for the premium subscription either annually or in monthly installments. The premium option, called the “OLIO supporter option,” offers benefits such as an ad-free experience, notifications of recent listings, and the ability to view listings on the map within the app. After selecting their subscription, the user is able to get free or discounted products.
 

The Olio community is so vast that my friends and I found around 317 deals near us!

Businesses can also post on Olio, meaning that they also have a similar program to the TooGoodToGo app, where users can pick up leftover food in mystery bags from restaurants at a very reasonable price.My favorite feature, however, was the community segment where users are able to ask questions, get feedback, and have conversations with like-minded people regarding sustainability. My friend Catherine, who introduced me to the app, describes the prices as “crazy cheap compared to what I used to spend WEEKLY on groceries”. 

Meals I’ve made entirely of OLIO ingredients.

Today, Olio doesn’t just prevent food waste; you can use Olio to dispose of any toys, clothes, shoes, or other items in a completely sustainable way. Olio now has 8.9 million users and has shared 15 million products. 

Overall, Olio is paving the way for businesses to reconsider their waste management habits and supporting them on their journey to becoming more sustainable. But Olio is also shaping the way you and I, as consumers, interact with food and the environment one step at a time.

References
https://www.london.gov.uk/node/56325
https://help.olioapp.com/en/articles/12140082-becoming-an-olio-supporter
https://olioapp.com/en/our-vision/