M&S Leads Major Push to Turn Surplus Food into Millions of Meals for UK Families
By Community Correspondent
Marks & Spencer has joined a major industry-wide effort to tackle food poverty in the UK by transforming surplus food from supply chains into millions of meals for families in need.
Around 11 million people in the UK experience food insecurity, including an estimated three million children.
A new initiative, Alliance Food Sourcing (AFS), brings together retailers, suppliers and charities as part of the Coronation Food Project to stop good food going to waste and redirect it to communities facing hunger.
Through the scheme, surplus food — including products with packaging issues or unused production capacity — is recovered directly from supply chains and turned into meals at scale.
Because the food is sourced earlier in the process, it can be distributed more efficiently and often has a longer shelf life, helping charities plan more consistent support.
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As part of the programme, M&S has teamed up with 2 Sisters Food Group to produce more than 1.5 million pizzas and ready meals using surplus production capacity.
So far, the coalition has delivered over 10 million meals, with a long-term goal of reaching 30 million meals a year by 2028 as more food businesses join.
This week, customers are also being invited to help. From 27 April to 3 May, shoppers in all M&S Food stores can round up their bill at checkout.
Every £1 donated will provide five meals, with funds going to FareShare and The Felix Project, which together support more than 8,000 frontline charities and community groups.
Donations will help provide hot meals during school holidays and support community projects tackling loneliness through shared meals.
Alex Freudmann, Managing Director of Food at M&S, said: “Alliance Food Sourcing shows what can happen when industry works together to stop good food going to waste and get it to families who need it most. We’re incredibly grateful to our customers for supporting this in our stores, and we’ll continue working with AFS to find new ways to scale this impact.”
Charlotte Hill, CEO of The Felix Project and FareShare, said:
“Together, The Felix Project and FareShare already support 1.5 million people, yet we know millions more need help. This campaign shows the power of collaboration — helping us rescue more food, innovate at scale and support more communities across the UK.”
Nicky Robinson, Director of Alliance Food Sourcing, said:
“It’s encouraging to see leading food businesses coming together through AFS, but the opportunity to do good is far bigger. By working in partnership, surplus food is already being rescued from supply chains at scale — reducing waste and providing meals for the most vulnerable in society.”
