Two of the UK’s biggest food manufacturers, Arla and Nestlé, have announced they will donate the equivalent of 1.25 million breakfasts to food charity FareShare, to support families and communities in need across the UK.

Arla and Nestlé are both part of the Coronation Food Project, which was launched in November 2023. This partnership supports FareShare’s goal to bring together businesses from across the food industry to collaborate on new ways to address food insecurity and reduce food waste.

Arla will be providing Cravendale milk and Nestlé will be providing cereal, including Shreddies, to contribute towards breakfasts for organisations supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK.

The partnership builds on the longstanding relationship between FareShare and Arla that has seen them divert the equivalent of 10 million meals to help feed and support those in need across the UK.

Nestlé has been working with FareShare since 2005 to redistribute quality surplus products and to date has contributed to providing the equivalent of more than six million meals. Last year alone it contributed towards 220,000 meals that were distributed to more than 2,500 different charities and organisations across the country.

Jonathan Dixon, VP of sales at Arla, said:

“At Arla Foods, we believe that everyone has the right to eat well and we’re committed to providing natural, nutritious dairy, that’s made in the best possible way."

"We also know that there are still some families who don’t have access to nutritious breakfasts, and this can have an impact on health and development. We hope that through this partnership with Nestlé and FareShare that we are able to help provide milk to those most in need.”

Andrew Shaw, Supply Chain Director for UK & Ireland at Nestlé, said:

“We know just how important the first of meal of the day is, but in the current climate more and more people are starting the day with an empty stomach. That’s why we wanted to work with Arla and FareShare to provide breakfast to those who need it most. I’m proud that my colleagues have come together to produce this cereal to donate to FareShare and we hope this will make a difference to thousands of families across the UK."

“The work FareShare does is absolutely vital to so many people. We have a long-standing partnership with them and we’ll continue to support them in whatever way we can, whether that’s donations, redistributing quality surplus from our sites, or through our colleagues volunteering at distribution centres.”

Simon Millard, Director of Food at FareShare, said:

“As FareShare enters its 30th year, we want to look ahead to the future of tackling food waste. The Coronation Food Project was set up to encourage collaboration and innovation across sectors so we can find ways to make sure more good-to-eat food gets to people who need it, rather than to waste."

"By joining forces, Arla and Nestlé are setting a great example to others in the industry of how working together can help unlock even greater environmental and social impact. Arla and Nestlé are long-standing supporters of FareShare. We are incredibly grateful for their support in teaming up in an initiative to help charities across the UK strengthen their communities through the power of food.”

Arla, the UK’s largest dairy cooperative, has been a dedicated and longstanding charity partner with FareShare for over eight years, continuing to support the valuable work they do across -the country.

Nestlé works with FareShare as part of an ambition to raise greater awareness of food waste and reduce food waste along its product value chain, and has provided the charity with the equivalent of 6.8 million meals that would otherwise have gone to waste.

FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity tackling the environmental problem of food waste for social good. It works with the food industry to take good-to-eat surplus food, which might otherwise go to waste, and redistribute it to a network of 8,500 charities and community groups across the country. These include school clubs, community centres, hospices, refuges and homelessness shelters, all working to tackle the root causes of poverty and using food to bring communities together.