Tag: food and drink

Sainsbury’s Update

I’m writing to you today to update you on the range of ways we are helping to get food and essential items to those who need them most (writes Sainsburys Chief Executive MIKE COUPE).

We continue to prioritise elderly and vulnerable customers for online delivery and have offered over 725,000 elderly and vulnerable people access to slots so far. We identified 450,000 of these customers based on our own data and from customers registering with us.

We have also been able to match over 275,000 additional customers in England, Scotland and Wales based on government data and we are contacting these customers to arrange priority home delivery.

We will be in touch with more customers based on the database we receive from Northern Ireland as soon as we can. For vulnerable customers who have been offered a slot and are unable to place their order online, we offer a telephone ordering service and we now have five times the number of colleagues on hand to help with this.

As we do our best to keep our colleagues and our customers safe, we have had to temporarily change some of our processes.

To help our colleagues socially distance, we are no longer asking them to accept unwanted substitutions or to process refunds on your doorstep. If you do not want the substitutions, then you need to call us to let us know and we will process the refund for you.

This is only temporary and we are working on a digital process to make this quicker and smoother. I apologise for the inconvenience in the meantime and I’ll write again to let you know when the new process is up and running.

As I’m sure you can appreciate, our online home delivery and click & collect services are in more demand than ever before.

We are increasing our capacity as much and as quickly as we can and by the end of the month we aim to offer 600,000 online slots per week. We are doing our best to add more slots and will keep going with this but it’s important that I highlight that there is far more demand for these slots at the moment than we can ever satisfy. I have therefore included below a full list of other ways to access food and other essential items.

We are doing our best to reduce queuing times both inside and outside our stores.

To help with this, we have been extending our opening hours. By Monday the vast majority of our supermarkets will be open from 08.00-22.00. We are installing perspex safety screens in our petrol filling station stores and these will start to re-open from next week.

We are also extending opening hours in many Convenience stores to 10pm or 11pm. You can check the latest opening hours in your area before shopping here.

To help with queuing inside stores, we are installing additional protective screens between manned checkouts.

These screens will help keep our colleagues and customers safe and will mean we can open far more manned checkouts in the stores that have them. We are installing them in over 150 stores over the next week or two and I will keep you updated on this and other steps we are taking to help make your shopping trip quicker and easier.

For elderly and vulnerable customers, we offer dedicated shopping hours between 08.00 and 09.00 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And NHS and social care workers can shop in our supermarkets from 07.30 to 08.00 Monday to Saturday before they open.

We have also extended our partnership with WHSmith to provide easy access to food for NHS workers in 80 hospitals across the UK at a discounted rate.

We know that many of you are already shopping for friends, family and neighbours and we are very grateful to you for providing this community service. I mentioned in my last letter that we were launching a Volunteer Shopping Card to make it easier for people to shop for others and I am pleased to let you know that these are now available online.

For customers who are struggling to leave the house to get to the shops, we have also expanded our on-demand delivery service ChopChop to London zones 1 and 2. The service allows you to choose up to 20 of 400 grocery and essential items for home delivery within an hour. We’re looking at how we can bring this service to more people in more places across the country and I will keep you updated on progress.

Many of you have also written to ask me what additional steps we are taking to support the most vulnerable in our communities.

In addition to donating £3 million in cash to Fareshare to help to distribute food to food banks and other vulnerable communities across the UK, we are also supporting the government’s free school meal vouchers scheme, ensuring that children who qualify for free school meals can continue to access free meals while schools are closed.

Many of you are also helping us to make a real difference to communities across the UK by buying a copy of The Big Issue in stores and online. We are also supporting Comic Relief and the BBC on The Big Night In, which is raising money for people impacted by COVID-19. I hope lots of you will be able to join me in tuning in this Thursday at 7pm and donating in a range of ways if you can.

I know that most of you really appreciate the essential role that our colleagues are playing at the moment to keep the nation fed.

Our colleagues are working in really challenging circumstances, constantly trying to balance the need to serve our customers well, to keep shelves stocked and to help people get in and out of shops as quickly as possible.

We are also asking them to help us keep you safe. Unfortunately this means they will ask you to queue outside shops when they are busy. Please help us to make our colleagues’ jobs easier by showing them kindness and respect at all times.

Best wishes

Mike

Krispy Kreme drive thru to re-open for emergency services personnel

To help show its deepest appreciation and support for the work critical workers are doing in the battle against COVID-19, Krispy Kreme has re-opened it’s production to safely serve doughnut donations to frontline and wider community heroes.

As an extra thank you, nine Krispy Kreme drive-thrus in the UK began re-opening last week, to NHS, police and fire service staff. 

From Thursday (23rd April) the Krispy Kreme drive-thru on Lochside Avenue, Edinburgh will gift NHS, police service and fire service staff with a complimentary hot drink and Original glazed doughnut 3-pack upon identification.

With this small gesture, the team behind the project sincerely hopes to bring even a brief moment of much needed lightness to those working tirelessly during the pandemic.

Proudly pledging to “serve half a million smiles” the brand has already started safely delivering half a million Original Glazed doughnuts via contactless drops to hospitals, charities, food banks, police stations, carers and other community heroes and key workers.

Further building on its mission, Krispy Kreme is recruiting a team of eager volunteers from its active staff, to deliver surprise, contactless doughnuts in their local neighbourhoods.

Meanwhile fans and customers are invited to support from home and ‘dough it forward’ by nominating deserving, unsung local heroes to receive a ‘doughnutty’ thank you. People can nominate their heroes by contacting servingsmiles@krispykreme.co.uk or via the brand’s social channels.

Krispy Kreme CEO Richard Cheshire, said: “Our mission to create smiles and bring joy has never been more important. We know we aren’t saving lives, but we hope to do something as small and simple as making someone smile. It’s our way of saying thank you to people far and wide who are working so hard to keep our nation moving, safe and well at the moment.”

Krispy Kreme has implemented a number of new processes and safety standards with their manufacturing team to protect their team members and customers., including social distancing at every step of the operation, running reduced lines of doughnuts and staff on site, appointing Covid-19 officers to oversee adherence to these processes and implementing a contactless delivery process.

The reopening of manufacturing has allowed Krispy Kreme to launch its wide reaching community plan.

More information on the Serving Smiles project can be found at https://www.krispykreme.co.uk/serving-smiles.

New food distribution network will ‘complement’ community efforts

A food distribution network to support Edinburgh’s most vulnerable citizens is set to be rolled out thanks to a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council, third sector organisation EVOC and the wider community and voluntary sector.

The news comes fully four weeks after community projects in North Edinburgh first joined together to get food and essential supplies out to neighbourhood’s most vulnerable residents.

The latest plans will see over 3,000 emergency food parcels delivered across the first fortnight to people who are having difficulty accessing food as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. Further roll out will take place following this, based on demand.

The partnership, created from the Capital’s £1.65m share of the Scottish Government Food Fund, will see the Council identify those most in need for the food and essential items with EVOC responsible for the distribution.

The network will follow Scottish Government guidelines on eligibility which includes:

  • low income households
  • families with children eligible for free school meals
  • older people
  • those with long-term health conditions

The supplies will be stored at four school hubs acting as depots for the packing and distribution. Demand will be regularly reviewed to make sure the parcels are being targeted to those most in need. Hot meals will also be provided to those in greatest need, who for a variety of reasons, may be unable to prepare their own meals.

This funding is in addition to the ongoing support for the wider third sector through the Scotland-wide £350m charity support fund made available last month.

The partnership will also provide support for voluntary organisations who want assistance with applying for funds from the Scottish Government’s Wellbeing Fund and an initial £50k will be available from the Council to provide targeted support to smaller scale community groups in their efforts to help vulnerable residents.

In addition, the partnership has signed a strategic agreement with Volunteer Edinburgh on matching volunteering capacity to citizen and service demand as it emerges. This puts us in a strong position to ensure that there is close collaboration and coordination to meet the needs of vulnerable groups in the city.

The city council, EVOC and Volunteer Edinburgh already work together as part of the city’s strategic Edinburgh Partnership.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “This food distribution network is going to tackle the very real and emerging demand from those vulnerable people who find themselves without enough food because they’re self-isolating. 

“We’re committed to supporting them through these unprecedented challenges and we’ll do everything in our power to help them thanks to this £1.65m boost from the Scottish Government.

“We’ve already been delivering thousands of food parcels across the city to those in our care and families who are struggling to cope. These supplies are not a short-term fix – we will make sure they continue for as long as they are needed.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Everyone has seen the amazing response from communities coming together to reduce the risk of food poverty and EVOC with the wider community projects are ideally placed to be our partners for this new network.

“In addition to this citywide support system help with access to the Wellbeing Fund and targeted support will benefit community organisations working in local areas. Joining with third sector organisations is so important as they are working in the heart of our communities and are best-placed to provide that essential support to reach those families who need it most.

“This food network will supplement the many other measures we have taken to help families such as Free School Meal payments, our own emergency food parcels and crisis grants.”

Ella Simpson, Chief Executive of EVOC, said: “For the last four weeks the third and community sector have been absolutely outstanding in their response to the needs of their community.

“This partnership complements and reinforces that incredible work and brings together the capacity, skills, knowledge, experience and trust within our communities to respond to this international crisis.

“By working together, we will be able to coordinate the delivery of food to vulnerable people across Edinburgh. This support to our colleagues and volunteers who are preparing and delivering the food to people will ensure we can sustain this heroic effort for as long as it is needed.

“If you know someone who is in need please use the national helpline 0800 028 2816 and I can assure you support is there for you. If you are a local community organisation delivering food not already part of this amazing network, please contact EVOC on info@evoc.org.uk.”

News that the funding is to be made available at last will come as a huge relief to community organisations whose resources have been stretched to the limit as they have battled to get aid to vulnerable and isolated people during the coronavirus pandemic.

North Edinburgh’s COVID-19 Food Group has been urging local politicians to get funding through to the grassroots for weeks now. On Monday, they hope to hear what funds will be made available to support their efforts.

Heart Research UK Healthy Tip: Healthy Eating at Home

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Healthy Eating at Home

At a time when we are spending more time at home, shopping for food less frequently and no longer eating out, our usual eating habits may be disrupted.

Good nutrition is essential for good health and it is important that we do not develop less healthy eating habits during this time. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you eat more healthily at home.

  •  Establish a routine and plan your meals

Try to establish a normal routine by sticking to set meal times. This can help you to manage hunger and prevent snacking on less healthy foods. Plan healthy meals for the week in advance and make a shopping list. Planning your meals should help you to eat more healthily as well as reducing food waste.

You may find it useful to use the Eatwell Guide when planning healthy meals: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/528193/Eatwell_guide_colour.pdf

  • Avoid snacking on less healthy food

If you are making regular trips to the kitchen and snacking on less healthy food because you are bored, try stocking up on healthy snacks, such as fruit & veg, nuts, seeds, rice cakes, yoghurt). When we see junk food, such as chocolate, biscuits or crisps, it can be tempting to eat it, so you could try hiding the junk food away and making healthier snacks more visible. You can also try waiting until you are hungry before visiting the kitchen.

  •  Are you eating enough?

At-risk groups who have been advised to stay at home are likely to have a greater risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition is a serious condition where people do not get enough nutrients from their diet. This is more common in older people and it can increase the risk of infection as well as delaying recovery.

Some tips for avoiding malnutrition include:

  •  Eat a good source of protein every day (e.g. fish, meat, eggs, nuts, beans, tofu)
  • Consume 2 or 3 portions of dairy every day (e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurt or dairy alternatives such as soya milk)
  • Include starchy foods at every meal (e.g. bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals)
  • Eat a minimum of five portions of fruit and veg every day
  • If you eat fish, aim for two portions a week and try to include oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines or herring
  • Drink 6 to 8 cups/glasses of fluid every day

North Edinburgh Covid-19 Foodshare Group – UPDATED INFORMATION

HELP AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE IN NORTH EDINBURGH

Final 2 North Edinburgh Food Network Info UPDATED 16 APRIL v3

‘Berry’ good news as Aldi’s first Scottish strawberries hit the shelves

Punnets of the first Scottish strawberries of the season are making their way to Aldi stores across Scotland today, making spring that bit sweeter.

Aldi’s first pick Scottish strawberries were grown by Tim Stockwell at Barnsmuir Farm in Fife for Angus Soft Fruits, which supplies Aldi stores across Scotland with fresh berries from 18 other growers based across Tayside and Fife, the heart of the traditional Scottish berry growing region.

Tim commented: “It is exciting to be sending the first Scottish strawberries of the season to Aldi as we celebrate the new harvest.

“As with countless other businesses, we too are facing difficulties as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, but we’re all pulling together and this year more than ever, it certainly feels like a real achievement to be able to supply Aldi customers with the first punnets from this year’s first crop of Scottish strawberries.”

Aldi is committed to supporting its Scottish suppliers and has been working with Angus Soft Fruits to ensure Scottish-grown strawberries will be readily available in stores this spring and summer.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said: “The arrival of the Scottish strawberry season is always welcomed by our customers, and we’re pleased to be the first supermarket to offer Scottish strawberries this year.

“In the current climate it is more important than ever for us to support our network of Scottish suppliers, who work day in, day out to deliver top quality produce for our customers. We know that times are hard, but with Scottish strawberries renowned for their taste and quality, we hope the arrival of the first crop will bring some happiness and the early taste of summer to our customers.”

 Aldi stores in Scotland will be stocking first pick Scottish strawberries from today (Wednesday 15th April), with availability increasing throughout spring.

Morrison’s Doorstep Deliveries

Morrison’s are helping our vulnerable customers get food delivered.

Orders can be placed before 4pm with an aim to get delivery the next day between 2-5pm.

There is currently a limit on how many orders can be placed with each store.

You must live within 10 miles of a Morrison’s to use this service.

Payment by card only.

You place your order from the list below, with a limit of 3 per item.

Products will be generic and based on store availability.

Everything will be fully explained when you phone to make an order.

Special dietary requirements will also be met.

Please – if you are able to go to the shops don’t use this service, it is for vulnerable/elderly/isolating members of our community.

An update from Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Mike Coupe

I wrote to you last week to update you on how we are supporting elderly and vulnerable customers with access to groceries online. I wanted to share some progress we have made on this over the past few days.

When I wrote last, we had offered 450,000 elderly and vulnerable customers priority booking to online delivery. At the end of last week we received the government database, which includes details of all the people in England who have registered with the government to say that they are vulnerable and need help getting a food shop.

Since then we have been able to match almost 150,000 additional customers against our database. We have already contacted almost 30,000 of those and so we are now contacting almost 120,000 additional customers to offer them a priority delivery slot.

We are waiting for the databases for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and will contact vulnerable customers in those areas as soon as we are able.

We know many elderly and vulnerable people who need to self-isolate are relying on the kindness of family, friends and local communities to shop on their behalf and we encourage this.

You wrote to tell me that product limits were a barrier to being able to shop for other people. We understand that it can be difficult to buy what you need and shop for someone else with the 3 item product limit.

We have now lifted buying restrictions on thousands of products and hope that this will help more of you to shop for others. I also want to reassure you that stock levels are now much better right across the store.

We are keeping limits on the most popular items for now, including pasta, UHT milk, antibacterial products and some tinned and frozen foods. But you can now feel confident in shopping in our stores at any time of day and being able to find most of what you need.

To help people shop for others easily, we will be introducing a new volunteer gift card and online voucher in the next week or two. I will share more information on this soon.

Many of you have also written to me to tell me about food banks and community groups near you that are struggling in this crisis. We know from our ongoing support of food banks that this is a particularly tough time for them right across the country.

To help with this, we have donated £3 million to Fareshare, who will use that money to distribute donated food to the people who need it the most.

We are also partnering with Comic Relief and the BBC on The Big Night In which aims to raise money for people impacted by COVID 19. We’ll be sharing more information on this in stores and online.

Best wishes

Mike