King Charles examined ready-made meals produced from rescued surplus ingredients during a visit to Fortnum & Mason this morning, commemorating two years since his food waste initiative began.
The King met senior executives from Alliance Food Sourcing at the Piccadilly store, where the collaborative group demonstrated how they’ve transformed the approach to food redistribution across Britain.
The monarch viewed meal samples created from ingredients that would otherwise have been discarded, now destined for communities facing food insecurity.
Representatives from major supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, joined charity partners The Felix Project and FareShare for the anniversary gathering.
King Charles examines ready meals at Fortnum & Mason with aim to combat hunger
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GETTY / GB NEWS
The initiative has delivered substantial results since its launch, with 1,541 tonnes of surplus food diverted from waste streams over the past 24 months.
This rescued food has been transformed into 10 million extra meals for vulnerable communities throughout Britain.
Financial backing totalling £20million has been secured to enhance distribution infrastructure, ensuring rescued food reaches those who need it most effectively.
The achievement represents a significant expansion of the UK’s food redistribution capacity, with Alliance Food Sourcing members playing a central role in delivering these outcomes.
King Charles was shown a range of ready meals during the engagement
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GB NEWS
Industry collaboration has proved crucial in scaling up operations to meet growing demand across the country.
The Coronation Food Project was launched in 2023 on Charles’s 75th birthday, aiming to combat both food waste and hunger simultaneously.
Industry leaders gathered in November 2023 for the project’s official launch, where they committed to a groundbreaking agreement to minimise waste throughout food supply chains whilst increasing surplus redistribution to those in need.
This pledge led directly to the establishment of Alliance Food Sourcing, uniting major food producers and retailers in a coordinated effort.
King Charles greeted crowds of fans as he left Fortnum & Mason
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GETTY
King Charles arriving at Fortnum & Mason in London
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GETTY
The partnership brings together manufacturers like 2 Sisters Food Group and Greencore with retailers and charitable organisations, creating a comprehensive network for food rescue operations.
The project currently operates distribution hubs in Merseyside, Birmingham and London, with the Felix Food Factory in Deptford converting bulk surplus into nutritious products for community organisations.
Through its grants scheme managed by the King Charles III Charitable Fund, the initiative has distributed £907,990 to 33 organisations working to reduce food waste and address food insecurity across the UK.
Fifty British food retailers and manufacturers have joined the effort, coordinated by IGD, FareShare and The Felix Project.
Fortnum & Mason itself contributed 4.28 tonnes of surplus food in 2024, creating approximately 10,200 meals through daily collections from its flagship store.