NEWS

Booker provides one million meals for needy

Booker has redistributed enough food to provide the equivalent of one million meals through FareShare’s network of charities.

Working with FareShare, the UK’s biggest charity fi ghting hunger and food waste, Booker has redistributed enough food to provide the equivalent of one million meals for communities across the UK. for working with FareShare and OLIO to redistribute the equivalent of one million meals. This food is needed now more than ever and is making a huge difference to people in need across the country.

“We’ve received lots of positive feedback from our network of charities collecting food through Booker and the colleagues in Booker branches are building strong relationships with their local community thanks to this programme.”

Catherine Marston, Head of Sustainability at Booker said: “We are delighted that our teams across the whole Booker business have worked so hard with their local partners to reach this fantastic milestone. Not allowing any edible food go to waste is something that everyone at Booker is passionate about and we are proud to be the fi rst wholesaler to work in such a collaborative way with FareShare and OLIO.

“Our food waste represents just 0.15% of total food handled which is marketleading. We are off to a great start with this partnership and I’m really looking forward to building on this success.”

Booker is the fi rst wholesaler to redistribute food directly to FareShare’s network of charities through the FareShare Go programme and the free sharing app OLIO. ‘Food Waste Heroes’ collect food directly from Booker and Makro branches, which is then added to its app for people in the local area to collect.

Through FareShare Go, Booker sites are matched with charities and community groups in the local area that collect the items and turn that into food parcels or hot meals for the people they support.

The food redistributed by Booker includes a range of large catering size packs, vegetables, deli and sandwich fi llings, as well as smaller packs of meats, fi sh and fruit.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “Thank you to Booker

BOOKER EARNS GROCERYAID GOLD AWARD

Booker has earned the highest possible accolade from industry charity GroceryAid, a coveted Gold Award. Gold winners have participated in at least eight activities across all three GroceryAid pillars: awareness, fundraising and volunteering.

During an immensely tough year, Booker raised its game even further for GroceryAid, taking part in 11 separate major activities including GroceryAid day, communicating GroceryAid internally, fundraising and offering free advice to the charity. Booker also took an active part in numerous GroceryAid committees including the Independent Retail Strategy Group.

For more, visit groceryaid.org.uk