2 Sisters Food Group owner Ranjit Singh Boparan has urged other manufacturers to join him to help tackle the continuing food insecurity crisis gripping UK households by donating up to five million meals every year.
He intends to increase food donations from his food manufacturing empire, which has premises in Scunthorpe, following his announcement last November to work in partnership with charity FareShare and retailers.
He said: “We have a moral responsibility to do the right thing. It cannot be right that in the UK in 2024 people are struggling to feed themselves. No-one should go to sleep on an empty stomach at night, especially not children.
“I have previously committed to supporting the King’s Coronation Food Project and in partnership with M&S, we are working to boost Fareshare’s distribution efforts. However, I do feel it is time for individual companies who make food to step up and help alleviate this problem.
“This also requires a big effort from our supply chain and it’s fantastic to see so much goodwill and support. Without the support of companies like Magnavale who are storing these products for us, this entire distribution effort wouldn’t be possible.”
Millions of people – including one in five families with children – have gone hungry or skipped meals in recent weeks because they could not regularly afford to buy groceries, according to new food insecurity data.
According to the latest Food Foundation tracker, 15% of UK households – equivalent to about eight million adults and three million children – have experienced food insecurity in 2024, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit the pockets of low-income families. It is estimated this figure has doubled in the last three years.
In November 2023, Ranjit met The King in support of the Coronation Food Project following his pre-Christmas donation of one million meals, donated in partnership with M&S.