Fenland supermarket ensures those in need get a 'FareShare' of surplus food

Jack’s at Chatteris has continued to provide valuable support to local charities throughout 2020.

People needing a helping hand in Chatteris are able to access even more food thanks to the Community Food Connection scheme at Jack’s.

The scheme, managed by charity FareShare, links Jack’s, which is part of the Tesco family, with local charities and community groups in Chatteris, allowing the supermarket to redistribute surplus food that’s left over at the end of the day to ensure it’s not going to waste.

The Jack’s store manager uses an app to let local food banks know how much surplus food they expect to have available, and charities then respond to confirm they will come to collect it.

Peter Lonsdale, store manager, said: “Following the success of the Community Food Collection scheme in 2019, we continued it throughout 2020 to reduce food waste, and help those who might be struggling to make ends meet.

“2020 has been a difficult year for so many, and we are delighted that the initiative has been so successful and helped so many people throughout the year. We hope to continue building on this in 2021 through our partnership with FareShare and continue to support our local community in Chatteris.”

Throughout 2020, Jack’s has redistributed enough food to provide over 45,000 meals to people needing a helping hand across the UK.

FareShare Chief Executive, Lindsay Boswell, said: “The food that Jack’s redistributes makes a really big difference to local charities and communities across the country. Around a third of all the food that is grown in the world goes to waste, so we are proud of this partnership with Jack’s and Tesco, which has allowed us to divert thousands of tonnes of good to eat unsold food to feed people, rather than going to waste.”

Charities and community groups can sign up to FareShare here:

https://fareshare.org.uk/fareshare-go