Marks & Spencer will donate a million freshly cooked meals to individuals and families in the run-up to the Christmas season thanks to a new partnership with FareShare and 2 Sisters Food Group.
Those meals are being prepared by 2 Sisters at its manufacturing site, utilising fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products to help those less fortunate. They of course will be delivered and distributed through the largest charity fighting food insecurity, FareShare.
Though inflation overall has dipped, food inflation remains extraordinarily high, putting 13 million in peril of missing meals each day. That number has more than doubled since the pandemic began.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the support from M&S who, by providing a million meals, will help so many people struggling at this time of year,” said George Wright, CEO at FareShare. “The 8,500 charities we provide food to have seen firsthand how more and more families and working people have been forced to seek help. Food insecurity, which currently effects one in four people, fuels both hunger and loneliness.”
Added Ranjit Singh Boparan, Founder and President of 2 Sisters Food Group: “Never before has helping to feed everyone in need with a nutritious meal been so important, and it’s very pleasing to see retailers, manufacturers and our suppliers coming together to help make this possible. This powerful alliance and the goodwill of organisations for their flexibility, generosity in giving time and resource has made all this possible, and I applaud everyone for their efforts.”
Wright said those impacted by the partnership include “homelessness shelters, afterschool clubs, and older people’s lunch clubs.” Working with FareShare, M&S has selected three meals that meet the gold standard for nutrition and include Count On Us Chilli Con Carne & Rice (390g, £4.25) and Smooth Tomato & Basil Soup (600g, £2.90), and the Taste Buds Cheesy Pizza (95g, £1.60) for kids. They will be prepared at minimum within four days of donation.
“Making great quality, delicious and nutritious food is what we do at M&S Food and its hugely important to me that we make this as accessible to as many families as possible,” says Alex Freudmann, Managing Director at M&S Food. “I am hugely proud that we are coming together with our supplier partners and supporting FareShare by flipping our mindset from using food that is too good to waste to innovating to use capacity that is too good to waste. This donation is just the start and in the coming months we’ll be expanding this work to support more families who find themselves in need of a bit of extra help this winter.”
M&S also holds a partnership with Neighbourly food distribution, sparing fresh produce and other items from going to waste. More than than 1,400 local charities and community organisations are impacted.
