We tried TooGoodToGo and saved 70 per cent on cafe and bakery food - here's how

This week, I tried TooGoodToGo, an app that, by rescuing “magic bags” of food destined for the bin, makes you save up to 70% on cafes, bakeries, fast food and supermarket groceries.

TooGoodToGo's magic bags are filled with short-dates and surplus food that businesses would otherwise bin. Image credit: TooGoodToGo

It was created with the main aim to divert perfectly edible and delicious surplus and short-dated food from landfill.

However, as the price of essential items soars, it can be a useful tool to save some money on your weekly food bill.

In only one afternoon and a couple of stops, I found ten ready-to-eat food items originally priced at £20 - but I paid only £6.59, saving 67%.

Here’s how.

How does TooGoodToGo work? My experience using the app.

First of all, you will have to download the TooGoodToGo app to your phone. It is available both on Apple Store and Google Play.

After creating an account, you can select your location, so that the app can search for nearby shops that have joined the scheme.

There are more than 300 businesses in and around Glasgow selling fresh food at discounted prices through TooGoodToGo.

There are popular chains like Starbucks, Costa, YoSushi, Taco Mazama, Tim Hortons, Upper Crust and Bar Burrito, but also independent cafes and bakeries, as well as supermarkets, like Morrisons and Spar, and even hotels providing breakfast items.

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In my area, I was able to find two conveniently located outlets that let me pick up a magic bag on the same evening.

I just had to click on the shop I wanted to go to, reserve my bag of goodies and pay in advance through the app. You can use a bank card, Apple Pay or PayPal.

You will notice the number of bags is usually rather limited, so you have to be quick. The number of magic bags left will appear when you click on your desired eatery.

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You won’t know in advance what is inside your magic bag, so I recommend choosing outlets where you enjoy most of the food.

If like me you are vegan, or vegetarian, there is a filter for plant-based options.

Each shop will have fixed collection times, so make sure you show up within these hours or your food won’t be guaranteed to be ready.

Both my collections started at 5pm, so off I went to my first destination: a Grain and Grind bakery on Victoria Road.

It was my first time using the app, so I did not realise that the collection time was actually very strict.

Grain and Grind is one of the many Glasgow businesses that take part in the TooGoodToGo scheme.

I turned up a few minutes earlier so the staff had to explain the app would generate a collection page with a slider button, allowing you to collect your food only when the collection window starts.

The transaction was extremely smooth. Having paid in advance, I just had to show the app and, before I knew it, I was cycling away with two massive homemade vegan sandwiches and a delicious cake - all for £3.59, down from £10.

My second stop was Costa at the Auldhouse Retail Park.

Costa is one of the several chains that sell discounted food through TooGoodToGo. I used the Auldhouse Retail Park outlet.

Again, the exchange was quick and easy, and the barista even threw in an extra muffin to the already packed bag.

From Costa, I got one toastie, one sandwich, two ready-made meals (a pasta and a superfood salad), an apple and sauce snack, one croissant and one muffin.

The original price was £10, but I got everything for £3.

The verdict

In total, I received ten items, which, for two of us, lasted for three meals: dinner, breakfast and lunch.

The final bill came down to £6.59, an average of £1.09 per meal per person, with a saving of £13.41.

I was impressed by the amount of food. We all know food freshly prepared in a cafe can be expensive, compared to making the same recipes at home from scratch, so I was not expecting to get much.

My TooGoodToGo haul in Glasgow.

I was impressed by the amount of food and the huge saving I was able to get through TooGoodToGo.

It is not something the average family could rely on for their big weekly shop, but it works if you want a treat from a favourite eatery or some ready meals that will not break the bank.

It can be a fantastic tool for a working individual or couple who don’t have much time to cook.

Slots are often conveniently arranged in the evening, so it’s easy to grab something on the way home from work.

And while most items expire on the same or the next day, the ready meals can make the perfect packed lunch.

Plus, let’s not forget that every meal rescued from the bin is CO2 saved from the atmosphere, and the app even tracks your positive impact on the environment.

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All in all, I was very satisfied with how easy the app was to use, and it was nice to discover what treats the bags would contain. I will definitely use it again.