Marks & Spencer has announced it is investing over £1 million in a brand-new way of addressing food poverty. By redistributing food directly from its supply chain, the retailer has created three new meals which will be distributed to families in need via FareShare – the UK’s largest charity fighting food insecurity and waste – as part of the Coronation Food Project, inspired by His Majesty King Charles III.
From September, M&S will be sending the specially developed products to FareShare to distribute through its national network. Developed by M&S chefs, the Vegetable Curry, Carrot & Coriander Soup and Family Sized Pizza meals use surplus ingredients from within the retailer’s existing supply chain which might otherwise go to waste, such as fresh vegetables. These meals are nutritionally balanced to serve between 2 and 4 people and all meals will be freshly prepared with a guarantee of four days life from the day of donation.
The brand’s close relationships with its partners allow it to redistribute not just ingredients but time and capacity to this effort. Working with one of its biggest fresh food suppliers, 2 Sisters Food Group – which has been supplying M&S for over 20 years – M&S is able to utilise capacity in its supply chain to deliver fresh, healthy and nutritious products directly to those families who need it.
The £1m investment will donate over 1.5 million freshly prepared nutritious meal servings to FareShare. This follows the donation of 1 million meal servings in the eight weeks leading up to Christmas last year, where in an industry first – the meals were donated directly from the M&S Food supply chain.
M&S is currently donating freshly prepared meals from its popular ‘Eat Well’ range. M&S Food has worked with FareShare to carefully select three of its most popular products, which hold the M&S “gold standard” seal of approval for health and nutrition.
Alex Freudmann, Managing Director of M&S Food commented: “Making great quality, delicious and nutritious food is what we do at M&S Food and we’ve been inspired by the Coronation Food Project to go further to redistribute more meals than we ever have before."
"By utilising ingredients, capacity and time available within our supply chain, we’re able to donate so much more product and ultimately help more people. I’m delighted to be able to come together with our supplier partners to support FareShare throughout the year.”
Over the last 12 months, M&S donated over 25.3 million meal equivalents through its supply chain partnership with FareShare and store redistribution partnership, Neighbourly – which over the past seven years has donated more than 70 million meals – products which are too good to waste - to more than 1,450 local charities and community organisations.