Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Appleby Westward, FareShare South West distribute equivalent of 32,000 meals

Appleby Westward, FareShare South West distribute equivalent of 32,000 meals
SPAR South West

SPAR South West’s primary distributor, Appleby Westward Ltd, is making a huge impact on the fight against food waste and hunger in its trading area thanks to its partnership with FareShare South West and Gregorys Logistics.

The partnership officially began at the start of 2024, but the company was already making donations of food to support the charity during the previous autumn and winter.


Between January and June this year, via the partnership Appleby Westward Ltd redistributed the equivalent of 24,400 meals*, taking its total to the equivalent of 32,000 meals. Those 32,000 meals came from 10.2 tonnes of food which was distributed via charities and community groups to 54,000 people.

With warehouses in Plymouth and Bristol, FareShare South West rescues good, surplus food from local food suppliers and delivers it to more than 380 charities, schools and community groups – from Gloucester to Cornwall. FareShare builds partnerships with various businesses to achieve its mission, such as the one with Appleby Westward Ltd and Gregorys Logistics.

In the South West, the food donated by Appleby Westward Ltd has been distributed to 241 charities and community groups, including 66 that work with children and young people, 56 that work with the homeless, 47 older people’s community groups and 11 groups that support people with mental health. In addition, across the school summer holidays Appleby Westward Ltd’s surplus food has been redistributed to more than 50 children’s activity groups, set up to support families at risk of food poverty.

Appleby Westward Ltd’s teamwork with FareShare and Gregory Logistics goes a long way towards its goal of cutting the amount of food waste that’s going to landfill by sharing surplus food and tackling local hunger.

Michal Czynienik, Trading Manager at Appleby Westward Ltd, said: “We are delighted with how well our collaboration is going. The number of equivalent meals we have been able to provide is amazing as is the impact this has had on the recipients. It is great to be able to support the local community in this way and, at the same time, reduce food waste. I am very excited about the future of the partnership and reaching our next significant milestone.”

According to The Food Foundation, 11 million people in the UK are struggling to get enough to year yet, at the same time, the UK wastes millions of tonnes of food every year. This includes food waste generated at various stages of the food supply chain, including production, processing, distribution, retail and households.

FareShare South West is a big part of the solution to this dual problem. In the first six months of this year, it distributed 867 tonnes of surplus food to 348 charities, which was enough food for more than two million meals.

FareShare South West is keen to get its message out to more SPAR distributors and is working with Appleby Westward Ltd on a case study to show other distributors how the national FareShare network can help them redistribute their surplus food to increase their social impact.

Daniel Leite, Food Sourcing Officer at FareShare South West, added: “This partnership with Appleby Westward is making a genuine difference to ordinary local people, and we’re so grateful for their commitment to reducing waste. The cost of a food shop has risen 70% since the pandemic, leaving 14 million people vulnerable to food insecurity. At the same time, the food industry wastes over 4 million tonnes of good-to-eat food every year with a catastrophic climate impact. By working in partnership, together we can make a genuine environmental and social impact.”

More for you

Raj Patel

Raj Patel

National Lottery retailers help raise landmark £50bn for good causes

Today, on The National Lottery’s 30th birthday, operator Allwyn is announcing that, through selling tickets, National Lottery retailers have helped players raise a landmark £50 billion for Good Causes since 1994 – funding an incredible 700,000 individual projects across the UK.

Allwyn is also announcing that National Lottery retailers have now earned over £8 billion in sales commission since the first draw on Saturday 19 November 1994.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bacardi Cocktail

Brits ditch tea for G&T

Nearly half of Brits (44%) say they would prefer a G&T to a cup of tea when getting together with friends, according to a new survey by spirits major Bacardi Limited.

The UK consumer survey was conducted as part of the sixth annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report which anticipates the key trends redefining global cocktail culture and the spirits business in 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tractors take to the streets of Westminster as demonstrators attend a farmers rally on November 19, 2024 in London, England. Thousands of farmers descended on central London to protest against changes to inheritance tax announced in the budget last month. The farmers argue that the changes will destroy family farms and that the nation's food security is at risk, while the government says that the change will likely affect only around 500 larger estate farms. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Tractors descend on Westminster as farmers protest begins

Thousands of British farmers today (19) are set to march to Parliament Square to protest against the end of an inheritance tax exemption that has helped family farms pass down the generations, saying the move will threaten food production.

First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget, the plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bestway launches Christmas 'Profit Express' campaign

Bestway launches Christmas 'Profit Express' campaign

Retailers are invited to board Bestway’s Profit Express’ train as Bestway Wholesale launches its major Christmas campaign to its B2B customers across its nationwide depots, allowing retailers to access to its leading festive deals to drive shopper footfall against the backdrop of the theatre. The campaign will be live until Thursday 2 January 2025 giving customers the elevated, engaging and high impact theatre they have become famous for over the last three years.

In collaboration with key suppliers, the ‘Profit Express’ festive campaign delivers all the magic of theatre and festive fun, ensuring exceptional visibility and engagement for its expected 80,000 retailers shopping the Christmas campaign.

Keep ReadingShow less
imperial brands

Pricing and Next Generation Products surge boost Imperial Brands revenue and profits

Imperial Brands has reported a robust performance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, helped by strong cigarette prices and rise in its Next Generation Products (NGP) segment.

The group, whose brands include Golden Virginia tobacco, Rizla rolling papers, Winston cigarettes and the vaping brand blu, delivered a 4.6 per cent increase in tobacco and NGP net revenue on a constant currency basis. This was driven by strong pricing in the tobacco segment, which offset a 4 per cent decline in volume, and a remarkable 26.4 per cent rise in NGP revenue.

Keep ReadingShow less