apetito's 'Shift for the Hungry' donates 20,000 meals to charity

apetito, the leading meals producer for the Healthcare, Care Homes, Education and Social Care sectors, and its retail arm, Wiltshire Farm Foods, has announced a substantial donation of 20,000 meals, split between FareShare and City Harvest London - charities that share a common goal as being dedicated to redistributing food to those who need help the most.

The two charities help tackle the environmental problem of food waste to support social good. They work across the food industry to get good quality, surplus food and redistribute it to frontline charities, homelessness shelters and community groups, making a significant, positive impact on the lives of individuals across the UK.

The generous contribution was achieved through a production shift at apetito’s kitchens in Wiltshire, where staff from across the business volunteered their time and efforts to support this important cause by preparing, cooking, and packaging up vast quantities of Cottage Pie and Macaroni Cheese meals.

In addition, apetito received generous support from a selection of the company’s key supply partners who donated some of the necessary ingredients and materials to make the production possible. This includes ABP, who provided over 800kg of high-quality beef for the Cottage Pie recipe, Wyke Farms, who donated 160kg of its Wyke Farms Mature Cheddar, and apetito’s tray partner, Faerch, who gave 20,000 meal trays free of charge. Jardox also generously donated 47kg of Roast Beef Bouillon and Integrity Print provided the service of printing custom designed labels for every meal.

Both FareShare and City Harvest London rely on receiving donations such as this one to continue their impactful work.

Paul Freeston, CEO and Chair of apetito said:

“At apetito, our ethos of ‘making a real difference’ is enshrined in our company values – it’s a value and a purpose that is shared by every member of our team.

“Making nutritious and quality meals is central to our business and we are proud to be able to help FareShare and City Harvest London, who both do incredible work to help tackle hunger and food poverty, in this way.

“I would like to thank everyone in our team for coming together to make this possible, along with our partner suppliers for their generosity. It was a fantastic effort and teamwork at its best– we know that it will truly have ‘made a difference’ to many people’s lives.”

Chris Morling, Head of Food Alliance at FareShare said:

"FareShare and the community organisations we support are incredibly grateful to apetito for the generous donation of nearly 20,000 frozen ready meals. This contribution will make a significant difference to those facing food insecurity across the UK. By providing nutritious meals, apetito is helping us support vulnerable people and the charities that work tirelessly to assist them. It's partnerships like these that enable FareShare to continue our vital work in the community."

Sarah Calcutt, CEO of City Harvest London said:

"City Harvest and apetito are tightly aligned on delivering nutrition to people in need of support. Physical and mental health is rooted in our gut health, and our bodies require nutritious food in order to thrive. By expanding the access people have to good food, we help support society as whole. We are so grateful to apetito for this incredible donation which will provide health and hope to thousands.”

apetito, and its retail arm, Wiltshire Farm Foods, which delivers meals to tens of thousands of customers in their own home, has this year been the recipient of the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development – it’s fourth royal recognition. Societal values and sustainability form the bedrock of its business.