Leading potato supplier Albert Bartlett has hosted a special lunch for the Edinburgh-based FareShare volunteers who selflessly package, cook and serve food for the UK’s biggest charity tackling food waste for social good.
Albert Bartlett has donated the equivalent of over 12 million meals to FareShare.
The potato people were on site at Cyrenians Kitchen in Bonnington on Thursday (7th March) where Albert Bartlett Chef, Graham Wilson cooked a potato inspired menu* for the 30 local volunteers to thank them for their hard work and dedication.
Cyrenians, an Edinburgh-based homelessness charity, is responsible for delivering FareShare’s operation in central and southeast Scotland.
During its 14-year relationship with FareShare, Albert Bartlett has made a significant difference with generous food donations. In 2023 they donated 1,200 tonnes of food which provided three million equivalent meals*, helped 3,453 charities and prevented 3,000 tonnes of CO2e from being wasted.
Sales Director at Albert Bartlett, John Heginbottom: “Community is hugely important to Albert Bartlett, so giving back and saying thank you to the dedicated volunteers at FareShare is really important to us.
“It’s crucial that we continue to help FareShare towards its mission of tackling food waste and hunger – potatoes are rich in nutrients.’’
Stevie Murray, Volunteer at FareShare: “Yesterday we were treated to a special lunch on site from Albert Bartlett.
“The food was amazing, and the company was great. I have been volunteering at FareShare for the past five years, following my retirement I decided to spend my time helping others, which is fantastic and so rewarding.’’
The volunteer lunch follows the recent Albert Bartlett Golden Ticket giveaway which saw local charities in the FareShare network receive a voucher worth £100 in the 62 tonnes of surplus potatoes.
The charities included:
- Laurence’s Larder and Open Kitchen, Northwest London
- The Food Chain, North London
- Kellands School, Aberdeenshire
- Dundee Survival Group, Dundee
- Faifley Community Council, Glasgow
Director of food at FareShare, Simon Millard: “We are enormously grateful to Albert Bartlett for their ongoing support for FareShare.
“Their surplus potatoes are redistributed across our nationwide network of 8,500 charities and community groups and make a valuable contribution to getting good food to people in need, rather than letting it go to waste.
“Regular supplies of potatoes enable these groups to create hearty, nourishing meals for the people they support, bringing people together and helping them access other vital support services.
“Volunteers are absolutely crucial to FareShare’s operation, making sure good food gets to people and groups that need it. The meal was a wonderful opportunity to say thank you for their hard work and dedication, and we are grateful to the team at Albert Bartlett for making it happen.”
*The menu consisted of Spicy Buffalo and Vegan Blue Cheese loaded Crispy Albert Bartlett Mini Hash Browns, Luxury Mash Potato loaded with Tennessee BBQ Pulled Pork, Dill Pickles, and Crispy Nacho’s along with many other delicious dishes.
*The equivalent meals calculation is based on WRAP’s guidance around reporting the amounts of surplus food redistributed.