Pub announces foodbank partnership
As reported by The Morning Advertiser, wasted food costs the pub sector approximately £357m per year – roughly 41p per meal.
However, Norfolk licensees Adam Noble and Aaron Dobson of the Jolly Brewers in Shouldham Thorpe have revealed they’re working with a nearby foodbank in King’s Lynn to ensure that they’re doing their bit to reduce their pub’s contribution.
King’s Lynn Foodbank, part of a network of more than 1,200 foodbanks across the UK supported by Salisbury-based NGO the Trussell Trust, provides emergency non-perishable, in-date food supplies with donations often collected through local schools, churches and businesses.
Through their partnership with the Jolly Brewers, King’s Lynn Foodbank will collect all edible food from the pub that goes unused, with the pub’s customers encouraged to leave cash or food supplies of their own.
Community care
Noble explained: “When running a fresh, local produce pub, there will inevitably be food waste, which cannot be sold but is perfectly edible.
“By teaming up with our local foodbank, we are helping to ensure that good-quality, edible food will not go to waste and we can help those in our local community who need it.
“We are passionate about ensuring that no edible food goes to waste.
“Caring for the community is a key part of our ethos and this initiative means we can support those most in need within our community.”
Proactive step
Maarten Klem from King’s Lynn Foodbank commented: “We are thrilled to be working with Adam and Aaron and the Jolly Brewers team.
“It’s fantastic to work with local businesses to expand our reach within the Norfolk area.
“We want to encourage locals to think about how they consume food, how they can work to reduce food waste and how they can also help to give back to others in the community in the process.”
Moreover, Admiral Taverns business development manager Jean-Paul Russek added: “I’m incredibly proud of the team for their work in this initiative.
“The pub is taking a proactive step towards reducing food waste in the Norfolk area, as well as supporting local people in the process.
“I’m excited for the team to raise awareness of this cause and reap the benefits of running the business in a more sustainable way.”
According to statistics from the Trussell Trust, more than 14m people in the UK live below the poverty line.
In 2017, the trust’s network of foodbanks provided more than 1.3m three-day emergency food packs to people in crisis – a 13% increase on the previous year.
