Looking for a tasty bargain with the added bonus of stopping unnecessary food waste?
App Too Good To Go offers surprise bags of food that would otherwise be needlessly binned at a low cost.
In Stirling, both big chains and independent cafes and restaurants have signed up.
But is what you actually get out in each bag worth the price you pay?
I tested the top-rated Too Good To Go bags in the city to see if they’re all they’re cracked up to be.
White Dove Coffee Roasters
My first Too Good To Go purchase was a £4 surprise bag from White Dove Coffee Roasters.
The Port Street cafe serves cakes, savoury bakes, pastries and more.
The food in my bag was still fresh and delicious, and the server was friendly and polite when I picked it up.
I was given five items, including two Mediterranean vegetable pies, rocky road, a banoffee pie and a pain au chocolate.
Everything but the rocky road was vegan-friendly.
The full-price value of the bag was around £20 and every item was clearly unsold fresh produce from that day.
Cost of bag: £4
Estimated normal value: £20
My rating: 4/5
Muffin Break
Located within the Thistles Centre, Muffin Break’s surprise bag set me back £4.99.
As I arrived, the server asked if I had any dietary requirements then put leftover items into bags for me.
Again, I was given five items: two cheese scones, a blueberry muffin, a chocolate chip muffin and a coconut muffin which I was allowed to choose myself.
Getting so much for less than £5 felt like a bargain.
One muffin costs £3.60 normally, but I paid £1 each.
The goods were still fresh and could have lasted several more days.
Cost of bag: £5
Estimated normal value: £18
My rating: 4/5
Bob & Berts
Northern Irish chain Bob & Berts has been popular since arriving in Stirling, and its Too Good To Go bag certainly won me over.
For £4.50, I received two croissants, a slice of Northern Irish traybake fifteen, a scone, red velvet cake and rainbow cake.
It’s lucky I have a sweet tooth.
A fifteen slice usually costs £3.60, while the rainbow cake is priced at £4.85 per serving.
Although the cakes were dry and nearing their end date, I wasn’t complaining as that’s the nature of the app.
It’s definitely a bag I would take a chance on again.
Cost of bag: £4.50
Estimated normal value: £24
My rating: 4.5/5
Costa
UK coffee chain Costa has let me down with Too Good To Go bags in the past.
But, boasting a 4.7 star-rated bag for £3.50, I decided it was worth another chance.
Containing five different sandwiches, Costa’s offering complemented my entirely sweet bag from Bob & Berts.
Turkey feast and egg mayo on bread, an egg and mushroom bap and two mozzarella and tomato paninis were included.
Each sandwich had a use-by date of December 20 – the same day I collected them.
They were still perfectly fine the following day, but it’s still a lot of bread to get through quickly.
Cost of bag: £3.50
Estimated normal value: £24
My rating: 3.5/5
M&S
Finally, I pulled up at the service station M&S for £5-worth of expiring food.
This haul was much bigger than the others, filling an entire shopping basket.
Luckily, I had my own bag, and piled it full of king prawns, tomatoes, a cucumber, pilau rice, a tub of yoghurt, a smoked ham and coleslaw sandwich, carrots and hummus, and a mozzarella and ham wrap.
Once again, it felt like a great price for I received.
However, the prawns did not smell appetising and the carrots were slimy.
Despite being close to expiry, everything else seemed in fine condition.
But, given how far out this M&S branch is, I probably wouldn’t purchase this bag again.
Cost of bag: £5
Estimated normal value: £23
My rating: 3/5
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