Waitrose stores, customer fulfilment centres and distribution centres across the UK have provided the equivalent of five million surplus meals through FareShare.
“Everyone has a right to nourishment and FareShare does a fantastic job of diverting healthy and nutritious food to people most in need.”
Lindsey Crompton, Social Impact Manager, John Lewis Partnership
Through the FareShare Go programme, more than 300 Waitrose stores across the UK redistribute end of day surplus food to local charities and community groups. Typically including items such as bread, fruit and vegetables, that food is then used by the local groups and turned into food parcels or meals for people in need in the area.
FareShare also receives fantastic quality food via Waitrose distribution centres in Enfield and Greenford, which is delivered to more than 700 charities and community projects via six of the charity’s nearby warehouses. This has included meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables, with additional beef and eggs also purchased.
Lindsey Crompton, Social Impact Manager, John Lewis Partnership, said: “This year has created even greater inequality in society with a catastrophic effect on some of the most vulnerable. Everyone has a right to nourishment and FareShare does a fantastic job of diverting healthy and nutritious food to people most in need. We are proud to have donated five million meals so far and are determined to play our part during the Pandemic and beyond.”
Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “We’re hugely grateful to Waitrose for their continued efforts in redistributing surplus food through its stores and customer fulfilment centres.
“This last year has been incredibly tough for so many people and demand for FareShare food has skyrocketed. The food we receive through Waitrose is needed now more than ever and we’re pleased to be able to help them reduce their food waste at the same time.”
As part of the ongoing partnership, Waitrose has teamed up with some of its biggest suppliers to help divert surplus food to families in need, via FareShare, with its Farm to Family campaign. The aim is to redistribute five million surplus apples, crooked carrots, mushrooms and sweet baby sprouts to create more than one million meals for vulnerable families across the UK. Over 800,000 meals have already been supplied to FareShare.
