Princes, Waitrose, Felix and Alliance Food Sourcing have joined forces to produce one million tins of baked beans for people facing food insecurity this summer.
Cans of Branston Baked Beans will be distributed through Felix’s network of over 8,000 community organisations, schools, food banks and community kitchens.
Alliance Food Sourcing, which was inspired by the King’s Coronation Food Project, brings together leading UK food businesses to unlock surplus food and factory capabilities and turn it into meals for charities.
By unlocking surplus factory capacity and supply chain resources, the partnership has created a new way of getting more nutritious food to communities facing hunger rather than relying on surplus. Princes is optimising its facilities to produce additional volumes of beans during quieter periods throughout the year.
Waitrose is also currently trialling similar initiatives with its pasta supplier, Daybreak, and its fresh fruit supplier, Primafruit.
Combined with the Branston move, the three initiatives are on track to divert the equivalent of over 1.9 million meals to Felix, the UK’s largest food rescue charity, by the end of the year.
“We are delighted that our first successful venture with Alliance Food Sourcing is on Branston Baked Beans, as they provide an accessible and nutritious meal option, with one can containing over 24g of fibre,” said Princes Group corporate relations director David McDiarmid.
“We are proud to go ’beyond surplus’ food and instead use our manufacturing capability to actively produce food for people who need it.”
Waitrose director of ethics and sustainability Marija Rompani said: “This isn’t just about donating surplus food; it’s about exploring how we can work closely with our suppliers to rewrite the rules in our supply chain and unlock surplus that can make a real difference to our communities.”
Alliance Food Sourcing director Nicky Robinson added: “By adapting their supply chains, food businesses can redirect factory capacity or rescue edible food to help tackle UK hunger. Innovations like these mean millions more meals are already reaching people who need them – often through relatively simple changes.”
This sentiment was echoed by Felix CEO Charlotte Hill. “Unfortunately the demand for food amongst the charities and organisations Felix supplies keeps rising,” she said.
“That is why projects like this are vital. It not only shows what partnerships and innovative thinking can achieve, it ensures Felix receives a steady supply of a much sought-after family favourite.”
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