News

Free carrots for reindeer

By Rohan Aldous

Dec 26, 2021

Carrot collection: Matilda, 8, Bobby, 6, and Indy, 3, Tarczon from Echuca were making the most of their parents’ Christmas Eve shopping trip to Coles, taking the opportunity to load up on the free carrot offering from the supermarket giant for Santa’s reindeer. The trio usually leaves a carrot and candy cane for the reindeer, while Santa Claus has the obligatory cookies-and-milk midnight snack.

Coles and Aussie carrot growers sprinkled Christmas joy this festive season with an initiative sure to make Rudolph’s red nose shone bright.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

For the first time, families across Australia could collect a free “reindeer carrot” from a designated collection bay when exiting their local Coles store, ready to leave out on Christmas Eve for Santa’s hard-working reindeer.

Inspired by similar initiatives overseas, five Aussie growers from across the country partnered with Coles to donate more than 200,000kg of carrots that might otherwise have gone to waste.

The carrots were available at Coles stores across Australia until Christmas Eve.

Each carrot came from one of six Coles carrot suppliers based around Australia, and while they were great gifts for Santa and his friends, the supply was also perfectly safe to eat.

Alongside spreading joy, the initiative will also help farmers to reduce waste in the lead up to Christmas, with growers donating surplus stock that may be a little wonky or blemished.

This initiative is in addition to Coles’ ongoing work with food-rescue organisation SecondBite, as part of a partnership that has helped provide the equivalent of 160 million meals for Aussies in need during the past 10 years.

Each year, more than 800 Coles supermarkets and distribution centres donate unsold, edible food to about 1400 food relief and community organisations across Australia.