Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert explains how to get FREE food from Tesco and bakeries

YOU can get free food at supermarkets, bakeries and more if you know where to look.

Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert reveals there’s a few ways to find top deals, including signing up to apps and dining out on your birthday.

As the cost of food soars, there’s even more reason to look for freebies during your weekly shop.

In fact, food bills have risen by 11.6% – which works out at an annual increase of £533 for the average household.

But don’t worry – experts say there are plenty of ways to find a sneaky bargain if you keep a close eye out.

We’ve rounded up a few top tips for you below.

Sign up to loyalty apps

It’s true – there are a ton of deals for lots of places online that are very easy to miss in stores.

In fact, sometimes you can even get food for free if you use a supermarket or cafe app.

Here are a few examples:

Burger King: You can get a free cheeseburger or fries using the fast-food chain’s loyalty scheme. When you sign up for the first time, you’ll get 200 points, which can be also be used to buy a hamburger or drink of your choice.

You can sign up for the app via the App Store or Google Play.

Also, on National Burger Day, customers with the app could nab themselves a free whopper, so always look our for sneaky one-day deals.

Greggs: Don’t forget you’re entitled to a free hot drink when you sign up to the Greggs app for the first time.

In the past, users have also accessed free pizza, sausage rolls and doughnuts, so always check if any extra deals are on.

McDonald’s: The Maccies loyalty scheme is one which only app users can enjoy, and it can get you a ton of freebies like burgers, fries, McFlurries, nuggets and more.

Also, when you join the app, you’ll get 20% off your first order with it.

Go mystery dining

Yes, it really does mean going undercover to eat at a restaurant.

Chains like Giraffe, Wagamama and Leon use mystery-shopping companies to hire members of the public to rate their restaurants and ensure the quality of food and service matches expectations.

It also keeps their staff focused.

It basically means you’ll get a free meal. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you might get paid to do it as well.

To sign up, you’ll need to apply online to a mystery-dining firm. You don’t need to have done anything like it before, so don’t worry about experience.

You just need to have good written English, a camera to snap a photo of the receipt with, and access to the internet to upload your review.

But you’ll be briefed on what to do if you’re accepted.

Here are a few which are hiring at the moment:

• Mystery Dining by HGEM 
• Service Scan
• Market Force 

Share surplus food

A lot of quality food gets wasted at cafes and bakeries, but it doesn’t have to if you take if off their hands. Plus, it’s free.

Olio is an app which shares surplus food and drinks between users – volunteers collect spare food from shelves and list the items on the app.

If you’re signed up, just select what you’d like and arrange to meet the volunteer.

Do note there will be a lot of food offered by neighbours perhaps emptying out their cupboards, but a few top brands and independent cafes are involved with Olio.

Here are a few companies that offer leftovers:

• Pret
• Costa
• Tesco
• Sainsbury’s
• Gousto

After downloading Olio, you’ll just need to type in your email address or connect to Facebook. After that, browse away!

Bag a free treat on your birthday

A lot of restaurants and cafes offer free food to customers on their birthday.

Often, all you need to do is sign up to their mailing list, then you’ll get a free voucher or code sent to you around the time of your birthday.

Here are a few brands offering free treats:

• Krispy Kreme: The ‘Friends of Krispy Kreme’ rewards app can grab you a free doughnut of your choice, plus a free glazed doughnut for your children and significant other on their birthdays too

• Greggs: Download its app and register for its rewards scheme to get a voucher for a free cupcake, cream cake or doughnut, valid for a month after it’s issued
  
• Hotel Chocolat: A VIP card can get you a ‘surprise gift’ for your birthday

Use supermarket coupons

Although some coupons will only get you a little bit of money off, there are a few that get you entire items for free.

Make sure to sign up to Tesco Clubcard, for instance, which might get you a few freebies, or take a look at the Household Support Fund.

It’s a scheme where authorities get a portion of a £1.5billion pot of cash, and help you can get will vary depending on where you live.

Residents living in Essex County Council’s catchment area, for example, can get £80 to put towards food and essentials.

To be eligible, you must have reached state pension age – 66 years old – by September 30, 2022 and claim a means-tested benefit.

You will either get the £80 help as a one-off payment, or as a food voucher.

But keep an eye on food vouchers – experts warn scammers are reeling more customers in with false versions, so make sure you don’t click on any links or give away personal information.

For more help getting money off, here’s a full list of supermarkets you can easily win freebies from.

Plenty of supermarkets will offer you money off for creating an online account and completing your first shop.