Gluten-free food
If you have a confirmed diagnosis of coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, you live in Scotland, and you have registered with a GP, you can sign up to receive gluten-free food on prescription. NHS Inform has information on the scheme including how to register.
Community Access to Food
To access food banks, you will need be referred by another service, but please contact the food bank if you are at all unsure, or would find getting a referral a barrier to accessing food. Referral services include Citizens Advice and other charities, depending on locality. There is no shame in accessing a food bank – everyone deserves to have access to food.
Community Fridges are initiatives anyone can access without the need to be referred or provide any evidence, just turn up and see what’s there. These initiatives help to reduce food waste, and the produce is free.
St Andrews
Food4Students
This is a student-led food larder. There is no need for a referral and you don't have to 'prove' need. Follow their Instagram for the latest collection dates. In their Instagram bio you'll see a Linktree where you can sign up through the Google Form for food collection.
Storehouse Food Bank
St David’s Centre, 23 Albany Park, St Andrews, KY16 8BP
Opening Hours:
- Tuesday 11:00-13:00, 17:30-18:30
- Thursday 11:00-13:00
You will need a referral to access this food bank, but you can get that referral from Student Services - please email [email protected] to get yourself referred!
St Andrews Community Fridge
North East Fife Community Hub
St David’s Centre, 23 Albany Park, KY16 8BP, St Andrews
Opening Hours:
- Monday-Friday 10:00-16:30
- Saturday 10:00-15:00
Soup Bowl at St Mark's Church
On Fridays 11:30-14:00 you can get a free soup lunch at St Mark's Church (near the bus station and the Union). Toys and baby change are available. Come along for lunch and sit in the warm with your book or crafts
Fife
Fife Council has a website which details places you can go to access food in the whole of Fife.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Surplus Food Waste
This is a surplus food waste private Facebook Group which works with retailers to provide surplus food to those in need. They do community pop-ups in Fife.
Dundee
Dundee Community Food Network aims to improve food access in the local community, across Dundee. Some of these locations are detailed below, but the following list is by no means exhaustive.
Dundee and Angus Food Bank
Find out how to get support from the food bank,
There are two food banks in Dundee:
- Stobswell
- St John's Episcopal Church
110 Albert Street,
Dundee
DD4 6QN
- Opening Hours:
- Monday-Friday: 10:00-16:00
- Menzieshill
- Menzieshill Parish Church
Charleston Drive
Dundee
DD2 4BD
- Opening Hours:
- Monday: 13:00-15:30
- Wednesday: 13:00-16:00
- Friday: 13:00-15:00
Dundee West End Community Fridge
Follow their Facebook group for regular updates on what produce is available
Miller’s Wynd Car Park Perth Road
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11:00-14:00
Kirkton/Strathmartine Community Larder
In this community larder, you pay a membership fee of £3 a week and can take away a bag of shopping. You can also get bags of vegetables and bags of toiletries. Find out more on their website and Facebook
- Kirkton Community Centre
- 10 Derwent Avenue, Dundee, DD8 0AX
- Opening Hours: Thursday 11:00-13:00
- Strathmartine Community Larder
- 24 St Giles Terrace, Dundee, DD3 9JQ
- Opening Hours:
- Monday 10:00-16:30
- Tuesday 16:00-19:00
- Wednesday 10:00-16:30
- Thursday 14:00-16:30
- Friday 10:00-16:00
Forfar Food Bank
43 Craig O Loch Road
Forfar
DD8 1BZ
Opening Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 13:00-15:00
Arbroath Food Bank
1 Gravesend
Arbroath
DD11 1HT
Opening Hours:
Monday, Wednesday: 10:00-12:00
Friday: 13:00-15:00
Food waste apps
There are several food waste apps where local restaurants and providers will advertise surplus food at discounted rates – this is a great way to save money and support the reduction in food waste!
Too Good To Go
You can set your location and a radius of how far you are willing to travel for a bargain. You can also set preferences for what sort of produce you’d like (baked goods, groceries, meals) and set if you are vegan or vegetarian. You can also save your favourite providers too!
Check out this blog of top tips for using Too Good to Go.
Available in the App Store and on Google Play
Connects neighbours and local businesses so that food does not go to waste. You can put food on there that you no longer need, and you can save food from going to waste too.
Available in the App Store and on Google Play
Recipes
We’ve found lots of student-friendly recipes from BBC Good Food; we hope some of these will inspire you! If you make some of these meals ahead you’ll have enough portions to share with friends and flatmates, or to save for lunch the following day!
Some medical students in Edinburgh put together a recipe book which does not require use of an oven. It was originally created to support those facing homelessness and living in temporary accommodation, but you might find these recipes helpful if you are trying to save energy and not use your oven as much.
Recipes for families
Chef and mum of 3 has developed a budget weekly evening meal plan for families, based on two adults and two children. The meals avoid use of the oven, and instead use the hob, grill, and/or toaster. It is estimated that each serving will cost roughly £1.50.
There are plenty of other budget friendly family recipes on BBC Good Food
Zero waste shops
The Little Green Larder on Perth Road in Dundee is a plastic-free shop where you can get fresh produce, food cupboard essentials, and other sustainable alternatives to common products. You can bring your own containers and weigh out exactly how much you want in their dried produce (including rice, cereal, pulses, pasta) and pay for it by weight.
Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday: 10:00-18:00
Saturday: 10:00-17:00
Sunday: 12:00-16:00
Kitche food waste app
Kitche is an app which aims to help you cut down your food waste and save you from wasting money. In the app, you can scan shopping receipts and keep track of what ingredients you have at home. You can find recipes and filter them based on what ingredients you have left so you don’t waste money or food! It also has lots of tips including what’s in season. The app is free.
Loyalty card schemes in supermarkets
Another way you might save money is by signing up to loyalty schemes in supermarkets. Some give special offers to those who are part of the schemes – you can sign up for free!
Tesco Clubcard
Tesco offer ‘Clubcard Prices’ which are discounts or multi-buy offers on selected products (these change week to week!) You collect points which turn into vouchers you can use to get money off your shop. Simply apply for a Clubcard to get these benefits. You can also get the ‘Tesco Grocery and Clubcard’ app to track your points and it works as the Clubcard too.
Lidl Plus
On the Lidl Plus app you can collect points which turn into vouchers depending on how much you spend in a month, and get weekly coupons to spend too. The app is instead of a physical card.
ASDA Rewards
On the ASDA Rewards app, you scan your app to earn rewards whenever you shop. You can earn extra rewards on ‘Star Products’ which change every week, and when you reach ‘Milestone Missions’.
My Morrisons
My Morrisons app has offers on products that you can use in your next shop, and ‘Basket Bonuses’ which are small surprises you might win, such as £5 off your next shop or a free item from the bakery. My Morrisons also has a ‘Student Club’ which you can join with your University email address to get special offers.
Details on food provision for children (including free school meals) can be found in the section for parents/guardians.