Discount retailer Aldi announced this week that it reached a stunning 30 million meals delivered through its partnership with Neighbourly, while marketer BerryWorld recently surpassed 1 million meals with FareShare, as businesses across the food industry continue to give back to struggling British families during these difficult economic times.
Aldi’s efforts stretch across every one of its nearly 1,000 supermarkets and includes some 4,000 charities, food banks, soup kitchens and schools. Before the Christmas season began, Aldi also gave £250,000 to Neighbourly to infuse its Emergency Winter Foodbank Fund.
“Hitting 30 million meals donated through our partnership with Neighbourly is an amazing achievement, with the initiative now more vital than ever for local community groups and charities who face soaring demand,” Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK, said. “We’re committed to doing all that we can to support people in the communities where we trade, and through our partnership with Neighbourly we have helped to make food more accessible for all.”
Inflation is hitting individuals in need particularly hard this winter.
“The cost-of-living crisis is impacting communities up and down the country and we’ve seen the demand on foodbanks and local causes increase drastically since our partnership began,” said Steve Butterworth, DEO of Neighbourly.
Businesses like BerryWorld are also helping in a big way. BerryWorld, its grower network and FareShare – which works with a number of retailers as well – have partnered with food redistribution network Committed over the past three years to not only bring ‘out of spec’ fresh berries to families but ensure that the supply chain is sustainable and meeting ethical standards.
Those berries have produced the equivalent of more than one million meals to FareShare’s 3,200 charities and community organisations. For its work over the past year, BerryWorld has been recognised by the charity as ‘Leading Food Partner’ for its efforts to cut food waste.
“We want to say a huge thank you to BerryWorld and their growers for working with FareShare,” Pooja Shah, Commercial Manager, Produce at FareShare said. “Their donations of surplus berries over the last few years have been a valuable lifeline for charities and community groups around the country, helping people access fresh fruit and vital nutrients during a time of unprecedented economic hardship. “
One of BerryWorld’s growers, Nottinghamshire-based Tasker Partnership, has been at the forefront of saving berries from the bin in the initiative.
“Composting fruit that we have invested time and energy to grow, is soul destroying,” said Stephen Tasker, Partner of The Tasker Partnership. “Knowing 100% of all our fruit is eaten makes the effort worthwhile. In any surplus food situation, there are always vulnerable people who would gratefully benefit from it.”
