Food banks have been struggling since the pandemic hit the UK.
In today’s more wholesome news, Morrisons has set aside a whopping £10 million worth of groceries to distribute across food banks in the UK, after donations began to dwindle due to new “lockdown” rules.
The giant supermarket chain will ramp up production moving forward, creating more fresh items such as baked goods from its manufacturing sites, as well as adding an extra hour to its production schedule each day. Items such as eggs, fruit and vegetables will be prepared and packed to then send off to food banks. The supermarket will also donate tinned food and dried goods such as pasta to help restock the banks for those in need.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast today, CEO David Potts said: “As a food maker and shopkeeper we are uniquely placed to help.
“We know food banks are finding life very difficult and running our manufacturing sites for an extra hour each day to help restock them is the right decision at this time.”
The food will be distributed by July, helping to keep the most vulnerable fed during the peak of the epidemic, which is expected to hit the UK in the coming weeks.
Supermarkets have been struggling to keep up with demand in previous weeks, with online delivery slots being snapped up weeks in advance, and non-perishable goods such as pasta, rice and toilet paper completely selling out across the nation. Due to stockpiling and panic buying, all UK supermarkets have been forced to introduce new shopping rules, such as limitations on the number of items purchased per person and bans on booking delivery slots unless elderly or vulnerable.