UK potato giant Albert Bartlett has donated 10m meals worth of surplus potatoes to FareShare
Albert Bartlett, one of the biggest suppliers of potatoes across the UK, has diverted a total of 4,200 tonnes of surplus produce to FareShare, the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste.
This is the equivalent of 10 million meals worth of potatoes, which have been redistributed to help feed people in need across the country.
Albert Bartlett has worked with FareShare since 2021 to send potatoes to FareShare sites across the country for redistribution to charities and community groups. In the last year alone a total of 4,433 charities across the country received Albert Bartlett potatoes, supporting a range of people including those on low income, families and those experiencing homelessness.
One of the recipients is Empty Kitchens Full Hearts in Edinburgh, where volunteers and staff turn them into hot meals or add them to food parcels. “Potatoes are a staple of our dishes at Empty Kitchens Full Hearts - a favourite of mine is our leek and potato soup, which we make 150 litres of at a time,” says Luke Ball, packing manager at Empty Kitchens Full Hearts. The Edinburgh-based charity provides home delivered meal packs as well as a hot lunch service every Friday for anyone facing food insecurity.
John Heginbottom, sales director at Albert Bartlett said: “We are delighted to partner with FareShare, who distribute our potatoes and carrots to over 4,000 charities across the UK and support us in our drive to reduce food waste. ”
Lindsay Boswell, FareShare chief executive said: “We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with Albert Bartlett. Their support has enabled us to provide 10 million meals worth of good-to-eat surplus to the million plus people our network of charities support across the UK. Their support for FareShare is not only helping people most impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, but also helps support our mission to tackle food waste.”
Albert Bartlett is a family owned business founded in 1948 by the grandfather of the current owner. The core business supplies potato-based products in fresh, chilled and frozen categories, produced in four sites in Airdrie (Scotland), Boston (Lincolnshire), Westwick (Norfolk) and Jersey. The Albert Bartlett brand can be found in various categories in retail and foodservice across the UK and internationally.
