The Free Store Wellington
Redistributing quality surplus food from eateries to the community daily
211 Willis Street, Wellington
Located in the undercroft of St Peter’s on Willis
Open hours:
Mon-Fri (closed public holidays)
Bread handout from 4pm
Food distribution from 5pm (Be prompt!!)
From eateries to those in need, no questions asked
Here at The Free Store, we’re here to help whoever comes to our doors. With fresh bread, salads, sandwiches and more, we aim to reduce food waste and insecurity one meal at a time
How we work
Food Rescue
We collect leftover food from nearby cafes, supermarkets and bakeries
Organising
Our helpful volunteers organise the food into meal sized portions
Distributing
We give out all of the food to members of the community who come to our doors
Come for the food, stay for the community
As of 2025, The Free Store is fully volunteer owned and operated, meaning our services come straight from the community and back into it.
Our volunteer group is always expanding, check out below some of the ways you can join our mission!
Highlighted helper role:
Trolley Hero
Come by yourself or bring a buddy – no sign up required. This is a casual role, so you just come as often as you want. You will be paired up with an experienced volunteer, for your first few shifts.
Wellington has a mountain of surplus food going to waste, while many can’t afford to feed themselves. Many local eateries would love to give this surplus away but we don’t have enough boots on the ground to help us collect it all, and 3pm weekdays is a tough timeslot to recruit for. Just a couple of hours out of your week can make a huge difference in stopping good food going to waste.
We meet at The Free Store on Willis St around 2:45, Monday to Friday (not public holidays).
Accessibility: Need to be able to walk and push a trolley.
More of our crucial roles within The Free Store!
A shoutout to our supporters
The Free Store is aligned with a wide network of like minded organisations and groups across Wellington and beyond.
We know the work of reducing food waste and ensuring that the vulnerable in our communities are nourished is a massive task, and we want to thank some of our key helpers.
St Peters on Willis
- In October 2014, St Peter’s gifted space to The Free Store to be the location of our store. Over the last 12 years, a beautiful, deepening partnership has been built between The Free Store and St. Peter’s. Our communities have become more interconnected and collaborative. In the spirit of manaakitanga, St Peter’s warmly provides space for The Free Store to operate and gather, including the use of their kitchen facilities, undercroft, and the support of their staff.
Kaibosh Food Rescue
- Founded in 2008, Kaibosh is the leading food rescue organisation in the Wellington region. It has been a long term supplier of food to the Free Store and has been a key supporter and advisor of The Free Store during our transition into a fully volunteer run organisation.