One year into its partnership with food waste charity FareShare, logistics company Fowler Welch has distributed enough produce donations to provide one million meals for those in need.
Fowler Welch joined forces with FareShare in August 2016 after hearing from a number of customers that they would like to offer surplus food to charities but were struggling with the logistics.
The produce distributor developed a system where its customers could donate their excess product alongside their usual collections, minimising waste without creating extra work for the customer.
So far, Fowler Welch has introduced 18 new food companies to FareShare, connecting the charity with producers that can offer much-needed products such as fruit, vegetables and chilled meats.
Mark Varney, director of network development for FareShare, says: “Working with Fowler Welch has been highly beneficial for the work we do on a daily basis, sourcing high quality product to be distributed to those that need it most.
“Not only do they make the logistics of getting surplus food to us efficient, but the relationship we’ve built with them has opened doors to over 18 new food producers that now provide a broad range of products including chilled meats and fresh produce that can be particularly difficult to source.”
“Due to such a short shelf life, producers and retailers often struggle to deliver chilled products in time for them to be used, however because Fowler Welch visits these companies daily, they are able to deliver a really quick turnaround which means we have much better access to sought after products, such as much-needed proteins.”
Nick Hay, CEO of Fowler Welch, added: “Hitting one million meals is a real milestone for this partnership and really goes to show how companies working together across the supply chain can make a difference to those who need it.
“Food waste is a real issue for producers at the moment and we knew a number of customers were looking for ways to put their surplus food to good use, but didn’t know where to start.”
As well as this working partnership, Fowler Welch has nominated FareShare as its charity of the year for 2017. The distributor has already raised over £8,000 for the charity through its annual sponsored cycle, the Big Bike Challenge.
