Food manufacturer 2 Sisters Food Group has today (1) announced a ground-breaking new partnership with customer M&S and Fareshare, the food charity, with plans to donate one million bespoke, targeted meals for those in need in the run-up to Christmas.
In an industry first, the meals will be made and donated from three 2 Sisters’ factory locations across the UK to Fareshare directly. The meals have been prepared especially for this initiative and unlike previous schemes, do not come from surplus or waste, but have capitalised on under-utilised capacity in the 2 Sisters network.
Today 13 million people are facing food insecurity in the UK, a figure which has doubled in the last three years. With a history of making great tasting, quality food, 2 Sisters has worked with M&S and Fareshare to carefully select three of their most popular, seasonal ‘Eat Well’ products, which hold the M&S “gold standard” seal of approval for health and nutrition.
The meals include the Count On Us Chilli Con Carne & Rice and Smooth Tomato & Basil Soup, as well Taste Buds Cheesy Pizza. All meals will be freshly prepared with a guarantee of four days life from the day of donation.
The meals are made at 2 Sisters locations in South Wales (RF Brookes), Nottingham (Pizza Factory) and Grimsby (Recipe Dish).
Ranjit Singh Boparan, founder and President of 2 Sisters Food Group, said:“We’re very proud to take the leading role in manufacturing and donating meals for our partners M&S and Fareshare.
“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 supplier partners 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.
“This has happened against a backdrop in recent years where waste and surplus efficiency gains in food manufacturing have improved beyond measure, so it’s especially gratifying for us to use under-utilised capacity in our network and work with our supplier partners so we can donate bespoke, targeted products that will benefit those that need it most.”
Alex Freudmann, Managing Director of M&S Food, added,“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. So 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.”
George Wright, CEO at FareShare, added, “We’re incredibly grateful for this support. Demand for our food has skyrocketed, and 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. The charities we support, which include homelessness shelters, afterschool clubs, and older people’s lunch clubs, will be working harder than ever this winter. We’re proud to be part of this partnership with M&S and 2 Sisters Food Group, helping get more food to people in need, strengthening communities across the UK.”
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