The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
The price of food and groceries is top of mind for many Canadians at the moment, so finding ways to save money is always a bonus — and it can be delicious, too!
I recently spent $4.99 on food that was set to be thrown at the Tim Hortons near me and I received well over $15 worth of treats like donuts, Timbits, biscuits and other goodies.
Here's how you can get in on the deal and what I thought of the whole process.
Too Good To Go, which is an app that tackles food waste by partnering up with restaurants, has teamed up with Tim Hortons to address the issue on a national scale.
Starting on March 27, around 2,000 Tim Hortons restaurants across Ontario, Quebec, B.C, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are participating in the initiative, and more restaurants will be joining in the coming months.
"Consumers can use Too Good To Go to get Tim Hortons Surprise Bags, containing surplus assorted baked goods, at just $4.99, for a retail value of $15 or more," said a press release from Too Good To Go.
"These Surprise Bags will include some favourite treats from the iconic Canadian brand: donuts, Timbits, bagels, cookies, muffins or any other baked goods unsold at the end of the day."
The app had partnered with Timmies in some of Canada's major cities in late 2023, and since I live in Toronto, I decided to pick up a bag ahead of the national rollout on March 27.
Picking up my order
A Tim Hortons receipt for Too Good To Go.
After downloading the app and filling out the required information, I found a handful of Tim Hortons participating in Too Good To Go around the West End of Toronto where I live.
Most of them require you to pick up the bag after 8:00 p.m., and since I was going to a gym class at Goodlife at 7:00, I picked the Timmies closest to that location.
After hitting "reserve" for my bag, I got an email confirming my order which reminded me of the pickup time, and at the approved time, I headed into the Tims.
I went up to the counter, opened the Too Good To Go app and showed my reservation to the employee who then brought me my surprise bag which turned out to be a much larger box than I had anticipated.
I took a peak inside the box before I left the store and I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and amount of food I received.
What was in my order
Tim Hortons food from Too Good To Go.
Once I got home, I laid out everything to take stock of what I received.
In my Tim Hortons bag from Too Good To Go, I got:
- One croissant
- One twist
- One Cadbury Mini Eggs Dream Donut
- One sprinkle donut
- Two Boston creams
- One chocolate chip muffin
- Two biscuits
- 10 Timbits
As it turns out, while there were a few misses, for the most part, everything tasted totally fresh and I couldn't even tell that they were products that were meant to be thrown away.
Only the biscuits and twist were a little stale but once I dunked them in my tea, they were totally edible and made for a nice late-night snack.
We weren't able to finish everything in our box due to the sheer amount of treats that were in it, so we made sure to properly store all the extras so we could enjoy them the next day.
The donuts were a touch hard by the following afternoon, but everything else was fine after it got a few seconds in the microwave while wrapped in a moist paper towel.
The verdict
Tim Hortons food from Too Good To Go.
For just $5, I'm very pleased with what I got in my Tim Hortons Too Good To Go surprise bag and it's definitely something I'll buy again if I have the occasion for it.
Given that I usually pick myself up a chocolate chip muffin as a treat and grab a Boston cream donut for my partner and that works out to be about $4.00 with tax, for just $1.00 more, a whole smorgasbord of treats feels like a steal.
I also enjoyed the fact that there were a few things in there I wouldn't normally choose — I'd never actually tried the twist before, and while I wasn't the biggest fan of it, it was still interesting to try something new.
So, would I recommend trying it out? Absolutely!
In an email to Narcity, Too Good To Go shared that the app launched in Canada in July 201 and has saved 4.3 million meals. Across the country, they've partnered with over 9,000 food providers and have over two million users on the app.
Overall, the app seems like a win for everyone involved. For businesses that have extra food at the end of the day, like Tims, the app lets you "turn your surplus food into extra income with minimal effort" while increasing visibility and attracting new customers who might only visit the store because they're on the app but who later return.
For customers such as myself, you get to "rescue good food from local favourites" at one-third of the original price while helping the planet by preventing food waste.
If you're looking for other ways to lower the cost of your grocery bill, there are other tips and tricks you can employ to help stretch your dollars a little further.
For instance, you might want to do your research with grocery flyers before heading to the store to see who has the best prices, and if possible, price match at stores like No Frills to cash in on other stores' discounts.
As well, there are tons of grocery apps out there that'll help you find the best prices in your area and even alert you when there are good deals on products you frequently buy so you don't miss out on sales.
Good luck!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.