Food wastage will be recycled and given to those who are in need in the UK
Speciality & Fine Food Fair will be putting food wastage to valuable use – feeding people in crisis. The Fair has teamed up with award-winning charity, The Trussell Trust, who will be running a food collection service during the three days of the Fair, so that foodbanks close to Olympia Grand will benefit from any leftover goodies.
The Trussell Trust runs the UK’s largest network of foodbanks, providing nutritionally-balanced emergency food and support to people in need. The Trussell Trust foodbanks supported over 900,000 people with emergency food parcels in 2013/ 2014, of which over 300,000 were children. 13 million people in UK are living below the poverty line (source Oxfam). Foodbanks also provide a listening ear and signposting to other agencies and charities who can help resolve the underlying cause of the crisis. Many people say the emotional support was as valuable to them as the food. The foodbank model has dignity at its heart; people do not queue up for food, they are greeted by volunteers, given a cup of tea and are welcomed into a warm café-style environment. The charity’s vision is to create a nation where no one has to go hungry.
Corporate Partnership Manager at The Trussell Trust, Helen Franks, commented; “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with the SFFF and receive speciality food from this event. This food will be given to people in a crisis who will value the addition of high quality food in their emergency food parcel. It will provide a real boost when people feel low – so thank you.”
Soraya Gadelrab, Event Director, added; “Food wastage is one of the most alarming issues that our country is faced with. Every year, millions of tons of food is chucked out with the rubbish. Farming and food production is a process of intense time, energy and passion and to see the end product wasted just makes no sense – particularly when there are so many people living below the poverty line in the UK. This simple act of recycling at the Fair will hopefully benefit the lives of hundreds of people – something that the speciality food sector should take great pride in.”