FareShare has struck a partnership with Premier Foods, one of the country’s biggest suppliers, to help tackle rising levels of food poverty.
The five-year deal will see Premier donate surplus food to the redistribution network, helping nearly 9,500 charities and community groups across the UK as the cost of living crisis sends millions into hunger.
“As one of the UK’s leading food businesses, and home to some of the nation’s favourite brands, we know we have a key role to play in tackling these important, interlinked issues and believe we can make a real difference in the communities we operate in,” said Premier Foods CEO Alex Whitehouse.
“I’m delighted that, through this partnership with FareShare, a charity aligned to our purpose and ambitions, we’re going to spend the next five years working together to do just that.”
The move is part of Premier Foods’ goal to donate one million meals per year and builds on its existing relationship with FareShare, which has seen it donate the equivalent of over 1.3 million meals to the charity since 2020.
FareShare will also help review 10 of Premier Foods’ manufacturing sites to identify and unlock new ways to reduce food waste and encourage suppliers and consumers to do the same.
The manufacturer will also provide funding to help FareShare redistribute food across its nationwide network of 31 warehouses.
The charity group has previously been vocal about the impact of rising energy and fuel costs on its logistics and transportation operations.
Alongside the donation of food, Premier Foods staff have pledged to volunteer at FareShare’s warehouses and for its charity partners.
The supplier is also working with its retail partners and FareShare to co-design marketing campaigns for its brands such as Oxo and Sharwood’s to help raise money for charity.
“We’re incredibly grateful to be partnering with Premier Foods to help achieve their commitments, which will help us get good-to-eat, surplus food, that may otherwise go to waste, to our network of charities,” said outgoing Fareshare CEO Lindsay Boswell.
“Alongside this, we’re honoured to be part of their ambitions to halve the company’s food waste by 2030, which aligns perfectly with our mission to tackle food waste and hunger in the UK.”
Wrap’s director of collaboration and change Catherine David said she was “delighted” by the joining of forces of the two Wrap members.
“Premier Foods and FareShare are showing real leadership in the fight on food waste,” David said. “We call on more businesses to collaborate to ensure that no good food goes in the bin.”
No comments yet