A guide to how Approved Food works, along with some hints and tips to getting the best value for your money.
How Approved Food Works
Approved Food is an online retailer that sells discounted food and household goods, often past or close to their best-before dates, often with significant discounts, off the normal price that can really help your budget and lower the costs of your weekly grocery shop. The company aims to reduce food waste while offering significant savings to customers on this short-dated stock. Approved Food stands out for its steep discounts on non-perishable items, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious shoppers looking to save on pantry staples. While other clearance sales sites exist, they may not consistently match the savings offered by Approved Food, particularly in terms of variety and price reductions on popular brands.
What do Approved Foods sell?
You'll find a wide range of major brands and independent branded products on offer on the website, and there's a big mix of products up for grabs, mostly with potentially huge savings. That said, always make sure you compare prices before you buy as you may find that due to special offers, supermarkets or high-street discounters, may actually be almost as cheap, possibly even cheaper than what you can find on the Approved Food website. Use the free price checker Trolley. This will allow you to search for products and compare the prices for those products at a range of major supermarkets, making it easy to check if the Approved Foods offer is as good as it seems!
It may be that the same products are available in different sizes, so always compare the price per kilo or litre between the products to see which deal is actually better. Plus, of course, the dates on the supermarket food will be much better!
As an example, Approved Foods was offering a pack of 12x Hula Hoops for £2.99 (dated 02/11/24, which at the time of writing was nearly a week before they expired). Comparing that with supermarkets, Tesco was offering the same product for £3.30, so 31p more expensive (3p per bag), but it would offer an expiry date many weeks away, so depending on your needs, it might be better to head to Tesco instead! That said, if you know they will be eaten quickly (for example, it is half term, and the kids will plough through them), then it's a 31p saving, and those savings really can add up!
Examples of the types of products you can often find on the website include:
Food Items
Canned Goods: Includes baked beans, vegetables, soups, dog food and fruit.
Snacks: Various crisps, nuts, snack bars, and chocolates from well-known brands like Lindt and Toblerone.
Baking Supplies: Flour, sugar, baking mixes, and other essentials.
Dried Foods: Pasta, rice, and instant noodles, protein powder
Breakfast Items: Cereals and granola bars.
Beverages: Soft drinks, juices, and alcoholic beverages such as beer and spirits.
Non-Food Items: It's not only food available; you'll also find non-food sites such as:
Household Cleaning Products: Detergents, wipes, and other cleaning supplies.
Toiletries: Personal care products, including soaps and shampoos.
Seasonal Items
Occasionally features seasonal products like holiday-themed treats or baking supplies during festive periods.
The range of products changes daily, but you won't find fresh ingredients.
Is it safe to eat short-dated/out-of-date food?
Is consuming out-of-date items at dinner time a good idea? Best-before dates relate to food quality, not safety. Clearance food can be safely consumed after this date, but it may not be at its best in terms of taste, texture, or appearance. The best-before date is a guideline, unlike the use-by date, which is a strict deadline for food safety.
Foods that typically have best-before dates include:
Canned goods
Dried foods (pasta, rice)
Frozen foods
Long-life products (biscuits)
Some fresh products (milk, eggs)
Even after the best-before date has passed, these foods are still edible and safe to eat, though they may not be at their peak quality. Foods past their use-by dates, which include fresh food ingredients such as meat, dairy, and fish, shouldn't be consumed past their expiry date as the chance of contracting food-borne illness increases.
The Approved Foods Ordering Process
Like most online stores, you browse the website's inventory and add items to your basket. Then, you check out and pay. Standard delivery costs range from £3 to £12, depending on order weight and where you live, with free delivery on orders over £55. You'll normally receive your order within a few days.
Key Features
- Discounts up to 90% off retail prices
- Mix of in-date and short-dated products
- Brand name items available
- No fresh produce or perishables
- 10% off your first order when you join the Approved Foods mailing list.
Hints and Tips
1. Check dates carefully: While best-before dates are just guidelines for quality, be aware that some items may be months or even years past this date. The website does tell you the product's expiry date, making it easy to make an informed decision. For example, a 1kg bag of Rajah hot chilli powder was reduced from an RRP of £9, done to £2 and had a best-before date of 13/04/24, and this was on 28/10/24. It's a great price; it's just 6 months expired, but things such as spice are unlikely to diminish in quality that quickly!
2. Compare prices: Despite big discounts, some items may still be cheaper elsewhere. Make a quick price comparison before ordering; cheap food doesn't always mean it's the cheapest food!
3. Stock up on non-perishables: Approved Food is great for stocking your pantry with canned goods, dried foods, and household essentials.
4. Look for luxury items: You often find high-end products like premium chocolates or alcohol at steep discounts.
5. Be flexible: The inventory changes frequently, so you may not always find the specific items you're looking for. Just because you found a good bargain and bought it once doesn't mean you'll ever be able to buy it there for a second time!
6. Consider bulk buying: Some items come in multi-packs or larger quantities, which can increase savings if you'll use them. Just make sure you store food properly to extend its shelf life. Items such as washing powder can be a much better deal buying bulk and can be fantastic value over what you'd pay at the supermarket!
7. Check ingredients: The website doesn't always list full ingredient information, which may be important for those with allergies or dietary restrictions. If this is important to you, make sure you do some research before you buy.
8. Expect some imperfections: Items may have dented packaging or be close to expiration but are generally still good quality, just not at their optimum quality.
9. Combine with other shops: You'll likely need to supplement your Approved Food order with fresh items from other stores for your weekly shop. You won't be able to buy as wide a range of products as you might at the supermarket, such as fresh meat, vegetables, etc., but combined, it can still make good financial sense!
10. Act fast on great deals: Popular items at very low prices tend to sell out quickly.
11. Remember that unless you spend over £55, you'll have to pay a delivery charge, which may wipe out any savings you've made, especially if you only want a couple of items, so that's the only downside for someone wanting to save money. If you are in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or other non-Mainland UK locations, delivery can be as much as £12. For the Mainland UK, the carriage charges are still reasonable at £3 for an up to 2kg box, or 2 boxes, up to 50kg, for £6. Delivery is usually within 3 days, so it's a reasonably fast delivery service.
While Approved Food can offer significant savings, it's important only to buy what you'll actually use and to be comfortable with consuming items past their best-before dates. Many customers find it a great site to save money on groceries while also reducing food waste. As we as a nation throw away some 7 million tonnes of food every year, it's a great way to make sure that the amount of edible food in the figure is reduced, so it's a good concept. It really can save you money on your food shopping, as long as you're happy to buy and eat products that aren't at their peak of freshness.
You can browse the products on the Approved Foods website here.