If you happen to be in Cork City tomorrow, the Coal Quay Plaza is the place to be — 20 lucky people will be sitting down to a free lunch and you could be one of them.

The scale of Ireland’s food poverty crisis was laid bare last night with figures showing the country’s first food bank has distributed over 80 tonnes of surplus food to the needy across Munster since November.

Cork’s first food bank will open next year, with organising group Bia saying the initiative will provide access to tonnes of surplus food that otherwise would go to waste.