If you’ve ever winced while tossing out a stale croissant, stone-cold spring roll or wilted spinach, there’s a new free-to-download app that you’ll definitely need to download. Too Good To Go — the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food — has officially landed in New Zealand, launching first in Auckland.
Born in Denmark and already a runaway success throughout Europe and the UK, Too Good To Go is a mission-driven company that’s saved more than 500 million meals from ending up in the bin. In the UK alone, it’s currently sitting at #3 in the Food & Drink App Store, outranking the likes of food delivery juggernauts Uber Eats and Deliveroo, with TikTok users (nearly 90,000 videos and counting) documenting their “Surprise Bag” hauls of bargain baked goods and café quality fare.
The concept is deliciously simple: local bakeries, restaurants, and grocers list their unsold food at the end of the day, users reserve a “Surprise Bag” via the app for as little as $8 then swing by to collect it. The catch? You don’t know exactly what you’re getting until you open your surprise bag — but that’s half the fun.
Everyone from Westmere favourites Beabea’s and Catroux, to Ponsonby Road’s Beau Deli, Daily Bread, Pie Rollas and more are among the first local heroes to get behind the launch, with more partners rolling out nationwide in 2026. App users are granted access to good food at a great price, hospitality businesses minimise their footprint, and we all make a dent in the staggering 2.5 billion tonnes of food waste that’s generated each year — it’s a win-win.
