Project inspired by King Charles has raised £20mn and delivered almost 5,000 tonnes of surplus food to communities in need since its inception
The Coronation Food Project is celebrating its second anniversary, having delivered almost 5,000 tonnes of food to communities since its launch.
The UK wastes more than 10 million tonnes of food per year, while almost one in seven households lives with food insecurity.
Against this backdrop, the project was inspired by King Charles and launched on his 75th birthday in November 2023, in partnership with FareShare, The Felix Project, the IGD, and Alliance Food Sourcing.
Senior leaders from the UK food industry came together to sign a pledge to pursue the reduction of all forms of waste in the food supply chain and increase redistribution of surplus food to those most in need. Fifty UK food retailers and manufacturers are now involved.
In just two years since its launch, the Coronation Food Project has:
- Raised £20mn and opened Coronation Food Hubs in Liverpool, Birmingham and South London, in partnership with FareShare and The Felix Project, with two more set to open next year.
- Delivered 4,932 tonnes more food to communities in need. That includes 1,541 tonnes of surplus food that has been rescued, 1,255 more tonnes of food that has been manufactured utilising surplus capacity, and 2,136 additional tonnes of food donated by food manufacturers and retailers. This is the equivalent of more than 11 million meals.
- Awarded £907,990 through the King Charles III Charitable Fund to 33 causes addressing food waste and food insecurity across the UK, helping to scale up their delivery and extend the benefits of their projects.
To mark the project’s two-year point, King Charles met chief executives and leaders from the food industry and food rescue charities to recognise their achievements.
Dame Martina Milburn, chair of the Coronation Food Project, said: “The progress we’ve made in two years is just fantastic and it’s a real testament to the leadership shown by the UK food industry.
“Thousands more tonnes of food are being saved and getting on to the plates of people who might otherwise go hungry. None of this would have happened without the inspiration and support of The King and Queen so it’s fitting that the initiative is named in honour of their Coronation.”
Charlotte Hill OBE, CEO of The Felix Project, added: “Thousands of community organisations rely on the food that is saved and circulated by FareShare and The Felix Project. So, it’s vital that we find new ways of getting more surplus food into the system. The Coronation Food Project is doing just that, at a scale and pace which is quite extraordinary.”
