Asda is donating almost 200 tonnes of breakfast cereal as part of its partnership with Alliance Food Sourcing and Felix, the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, as the retailer supports families facing food insecurity over the summer holidays.
The donation will see Asda provide a newly created cereal made from its own-label porridge oats and muesli, ensuring a steady supply of a key cupboard staple to households in need.
The cereal is being produced and packed during quieter hours at Asda’s Talford factory, before being redistributed nationally via Felix’s own depots and its 16 independent network partners.
In a survey by Felix of 4,000 working families, nearly 1 in 10 people say they have to send their children to school knowing they are hungry, at least once a week.
The project forms part of the wider work of Alliance Food Sourcing, which brings together major UK food businesses to redirect surplus food and resources into charity supply chains.
Earlier this year, Asda and its wholly owned subsidiary IPL donated 420 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables – the equivalent to around one million meals – to The Felix Project.
Max Hilliard, managing director of IPL Operations at Asda, said: “Too many families are facing the reality of children going without a proper breakfast, particularly during the summer holidays when household budgets come under greater pressure. Through this donation, we can help ensure fewer families have to go without a proper breakfast.
“We’re proud to be working alongside Alliance Food Sourcing and Felix, using our own-label products and manufacturing capacity to create a breakfast cereal specifically for redistribution to ensure good food reaches vulnerable communities rather than going to waste.”
Charlotte Hill OBE, CEO of Felix said: “Sadly it’s not only during term time that families are unable to afford a good breakfast, we know that during the holidays many parents are faced with further financial pressures. With schools closed children have no access to breakfast clubs or free school meals so parents have to pay extra to cover those meals. This support from Asda to AFS and Felix will ensure thousands of children get a healthier and balanced breakfast helping them to kickstart their day in the right way.”
Nicky Robinson, director of Alliance Food Sourcing, said: “A huge thank you to Asda for adapting their processes, to turn factory downtime into a good breakfast for people who most need it. It will be enjoyed and appreciated across the UK. Often relatively small changes in the UK food supply chain can make a big difference to what we can offer frontline charities.”
Asda is the only supermarket that offers kids eat for £1 in it’s cafes, with no minimum spend requirements or adult purchase needed. This deal is valid all day, seven days a week, all year round. The menu includes dishes such as fish fingers, all-day breakfast, chicken nuggets and jacket potatoes. Kids can choose from either a hot or cold meal, with the cold meals coming with a piece of fruit.
