Ahead of Dry January, Morrisons has a selection of offers available on non-alcoholic drinks so that customers can continue enjoying a tipple, without the alcohol.
Products on offer range from sparkling wines for weekend nights in, to non-alcoholic beers and spirits.
Aldi Scotland has launched its ‘Not Socks Again?!’ campaign for the second year running, following its widespread success in 2021, which saw more than 2000 pairs of socks donated to good causes.
The initiative encourages customers to donate any unwanted or extra unused socks they may have received as Christmas gifts to charities supporting people in need across Scotland.
Every year, millions of people receive socks for Christmas that they often don’t want or need, charities across Scotland do, and Aldi’s ‘Not Socks Again?!’ campaign aims to put these gifts to better use by donating new and unused socks to those who need them most.
Aldi’s Sock Amnesty’ boxes will be in stores across Scotland from the 3rd of January until the end of the month, where people can drop off their unused socks to help keep vulnerable people warm this winter.
The Bethany Christian Trust are working toward the goal of ending homelessness in Scotland. The team at the Bethany Christian Trust offer a broad range of services, from assistance with housing, education and employment, to crisis intervention wellbeing support.
Nathanael Smith, Community Fundraiser, Bethany Christian Trust, said: “It’s surprising how much a good pair of socks can make a difference in someone’s life.
“It’s a simple gift that can mean warmth, comfort and dignity to those in need. Thanks to Aldi for making such an amazing project possible.”
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “Following an immensely challenging year, the team at Aldi Scotland were eager to support charities which are working tirelessly to help those in need.
“In winter, charities are always looking for essential items to be donated, and so we thought, why not encourage our customers to donate any unwanted gifts of socks to people who truly need them.
Aldi will also contribute a £250 donation to each charity in the hope of helping the most vulnerable in our communities.
Aldi’s Sock Amnesty boxes will be in store from 3rd January and customers are invited to drop off any unwanted, new and unused, socks which will be donated to the charity in their local area.”
This initiative builds on Aldi’s commitment to supporting communities across Scotland. Since 2016, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund has supported over 500 local clubs with more than £290,000 worth of donations.
In addition, Aldi has helped to provide over 10 million meals to vulnerable people across the UK through its partnership with community engagement platform, Neighbourly. Aldi also helped 12 local foodbanks this year after it relaunched its popular Supermarket Sweep programme this year.
To find your nearest Aldi store please visit their website here and donate your unwanted socks this Christmas.
Morrisons via Deliveroo can deliver groceries to your door –
Extended opening hours –
Blue Light card holders get 10% off in store –
Home delivery slots for the festive period may be hard to come by in December but you can still have your Christmas grocery shopping done for you.
At Morrisons, we offer Click & Click from over 350 of our stores, including a same day option. There is currently availability across the country for collection right up until December 23rd with convenient one hour slots to choose from throughout the day.
There is no charge to use the Click & Collect service when booking ahead and only a £1.50 fee when using the same day option. To use the service, customers simply need to register at Morrisons.com, select the time they want to collect their order and then choose the item they want. There is a £40 minimum spend.
Alternatively, customers can use Deliveroo to have their Morrisons shopping delivered straight to their doors in as little as 20 minutes. Over 190 additional Morrisons stores have been added to Deliveroo in recent weeks, more than doubling the number of stores offering the service and meaning that most major towns and cities nationwide now offer Morrisons via Deliveroo.
As well as expanding the number of stores that offer the service, we have also added hundreds of new products to the Deliveroo menu including a wider selection of our ‘The Best’ range. There are also Christmas classics such as mince pies and yule logs as well as party food, fruit & vegetables and meat and fish from our Market Street counters.
To help our customers who prefer to shop in store, we are extending our opening hours from Monday 20th to Thursday 23rd December and will be opening from 6.00am until midnight. On Christmas Eve our stores will open at 6.00am and close at 6.00pm.
To say a huge thank you to all of our emergency service workers, we are offering all Blue Light card holders 10% off their shopping with us in store until January 2nd 2022.
NHS workers can also join our NHS Club to receive discounts off their shopping and for NHS customers wishing to use Morrisons.com we offer a free delivery pass.
For information on ordering Morrisons groceries this Christmas visit:
Food banks in Scotland are preparing for their most challenging Christmas yet as they struggle with rising demand and dwindling public donations, new research shows.
According to a survey by community giving platform Neighbourly – which Aldi partners with to distribute surplus food from its stores – 68% of food banks, charities and community causes in Scotland are worried about having enough food to support people this Christmas.
Neighbourly polled more than 600 food banks and community causes nationwide and found that 89% in Scotland expect this Christmas to be their busiest yet, with more people than ever needing their support.
However, the survey also revealed that 71% of food banks in the region have witnessed a drop in donations in recent months – with the fallout of the pandemic and rising cost of living continuing to impact contributions.
On average, food banks in Scotland expect to see a 36% increase in demand over the next three months, with organisations in the area currently supporting an average of 203 people a week. More than 67% say they’ve already experienced an increase in demand since the summer.
From tinned foods to festive treats and toiletries, the research also revealed a list of the items that are most needed by food banks over the festive period to help guide supporters. Shoppers can donate food to local charities, food banks and community groups via the community donation points in Aldi stores nationwide.
Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said:“Christmas can be a particularly busy time for the local charities and organisations we support, but this year is set to be more challenging than ever.
“As part of our Christmas campaign with Kevin the Carrot and Marcus Radishford, we have committed to donate 1.8 million meals to good causes in the lead-up to Christmas – and we know that our customers in Scotland want to help too.
“If you feel you are in a position to help, your donation could make all the difference to food banks this Christmas.”
Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “The findings of our latest survey highlight that the continued impact of the pandemic, combined with increased inflation, is being very much felt by communities up and down the country, with charities and local causes feeling the effects too.
“We’d encourage anyone who is able to give back in the coming weeks to do so.”
Aldi works with Neighbourly to donate surplus food from stores throughout the year.
This Christmas, Aldi Scotland will be stocking what is described by farmers as ‘the meat you can feel good about’, as its range of Galloway joints hits shelves.
The supermarket is enhancing its Christmas range with Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint (£17.99/kg), Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint (£9.99/kg) and the award-winning* Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire Streaky Bacon (£11.99, 950g), which will be available across all 102 Scottish stores from 19th December.
Galloway cattle are renowned for the benefits they have for farmers, local communities, and the biodiversity of the natural environment. That’s in addition to being recognised by top chefs across the world for their exquisite taste and outstanding quality.
The cattle are ‘conservation grazers’ meaning they thrive on agricultural land that face natural challenges, such as exposed high hills. As one of Scotland’s oldest native breeds, the Galloway’s knack for digesting rough grass and foraging on Scottish hillsides have set them apart for their ability to reinvigorate the landscape, creating valuable habitat that allows rich biodiversity to flourish.
Scott McKinnon from Galloway Cattle Society said: “Scottish farmers are sitting up and taking notice of the fantastic benefits Galloway cattle can have, not only for their buying partners like Aldi who are looking for unmatched quality from their suppliers, but also the benefit these cattle have on the landscape and the wider environment.
“It’s important we all work together to make farming as sustainable as possible and explore opportunities for the agricultural sector to continue to grow and diversify as the world moves to a more circular economy model.
“It’s great to see a leading supermarket like Aldi supporting Scottish farmers and recognising the cattle for their sustainable benefits.”
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said: “Our relationships with our talented, local suppliers gives us a real insight into the sector and allows us to explore options which not only meet our high-standard in quality but that have benefits which exceed essential food production.
“Galloway beef is renowned across the world for its superb taste, and it has been amazing to discover what makes them so uniquely special.
“At Aldi Scotland we only stock products that we are proud of, and we look forward to offering our shoppers a meat they can feel especially good about this Christmas.”
Scotbeef’s Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint (£17.99/kg), Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint (£9.99/kg) and the award-winning* Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire Streaky Bacon (£11.99, 950g), will all be available, while stocks last, across all Aldi Scotland’s 102 stores from 19th December 2021.
* The Scotch Galloway Joint with Ayrshire Bacon has won Grocer own Label Award Bronze in 2021 and a Quality Food Awards Commended award in 2020.
– The Ultimate Breakfast is back on the menu after feedback from customers –
– It has bacon, sausages, fried egg, mushrooms, tomato, black pudding, hash browns, beans and fried bread –
– Other customer favourites coming back include the Prawn Mayo Sandwich and Mini Fish & Chips –
A selection of customer favourites are making a return to the Morrisons Café menu this week, including The Ultimate Breakfast.
The 15-piece fry up is available all day and includes three large sausages, two bacon rashers, a fried egg, two flat mushrooms, a griddled tomato half as well as two black pudding slices, two hash browns, Heinz beans and a slice of fried bread cut in half. What’s more, it costs just £6.95.
Other winter warmers making a comeback include our Mini Fish & Chips, Bangers & Mash and Sausage, Egg, Chips & Heinz beans. The smaller café classics all cost £4.50 and are available all day.
Our Prawn Mayonnaise Sandwich is also back by popular demand. For an additional £1.00, customers can now add a portion of chips to their sandwich orders as well as to other main meals such as salads, pies or pizzas.
This week also sees our takeaway Afternoon Tea reduced from £12.00 to £10.00, including the festive option. It includes a selection of sandwiches, cakes and mince pies that are served with British clotted cream – all served with proper Yorkshire Tea.
If it’s just a hot drink you’re after, then you can now order a coffee and cake for £3.00 or simply add a muffin to your drinks order for just £1.00.
In addition, kids can also eat free all day everyday when an adult meal over £4.50 is purchased.
Our Christmas menu is currently available with a wide range of breakfast and lunch options including our Christmas Turkey Lunch with all the trimmings for just £5. Succulent hand carved Morrisons Deli turkey is served with roast potatoes, creamy mash, carrots, brussel sprouts, stuffing, yorkshire pudding, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce and gravy.
Ali Lyons, Morrisons Head of Café, said:“This week we’re bringing back by popular demand some of the items from our menu that customers have told us they are missing, particularly our 15 piece Ultimate Breakfast as well as a selection of smaller dishes.
“We’re also making it easy to add some extras to your orders such as a portion of chips to a main meal or a cake or muffin to a hot drink.”
To help customers in the run up to Christmas, we’re also offering £5 main meals on a selected number of delicious Morrisons café dishes.
Customer favourites include our Best Beef Burger which is stacked in our The Best Brioche Bun with cheese, salad and burger or a Crispy Chicken Burger using Market Street succulent chicken.
For pie lovers there’s our Market Street Chunky Steak Pie which is served with creamy mash, mushy peas and piping hot gravy. Our Full Breakfast is also available in this offer too.
Morrisons eco range includes cleaning products, fabric conditioner and laundry liquid
All products are 100% recyclable
Made using plant-based and biodegradable materials, with no harsh chemicals
Prices start at just £1.00, a fraction of the cost of similar household brands
Morrisons has launched a new cleaning range – Morrisons eco – to provide customers with more environmentally friendly alternatives to many staple household products.
The range includes anti-bacterial spray, floor cleaner, toilet cleaner, laundry liquid, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid, toilet paper, kitchen roll, sponges and cloths – all the products are made from plant-based and vegan ingredients.
The packaging is fully-recyclable and can be recycled by customers at home, the products are also part of Morrisons first Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free certified range.
Morrisons has launched the range in response to feedback from customers that they want to purchase cleaning products that would help them protect the environment but need them to be at a more affordable price point.
Research by Morrisons revealed that four out of five of its customers (81 per cent) said they care about the environment, and just under half (45 per cent) of customers said they have purchased an eco-friendly household product in the last six months, as shopping trends continue to shift.
Unlike ordinary cleaning products that can be harmful to the environment, Morrisons eco range has been created with sustainability and the protection of the planet in mind, and without any compromise on performance.
When independently tested against comparable products from leading household brands, Morrisons eco range performed as well as products costing three times as much. Customers can pick up the Morrisons eco range in store from just £1.00, a saving compared to similar eco-ranges available.
James Crabtree, Senior Household Buying Manager at Morrisons, says: “We believe that powerful cleaning doesn’t have to cost the earth – and we mean that both figuratively and literally.
“We’ve seen a boom in the popularity of more environmentally friendly products and we know our customers want to shop more sustainably. We’re excited to be able to provide them with an even bigger variety of cleaning products – that look and smell great – to pick up as part of their weekly shop, without breaking the bank.”
The following products are available now in Morrisons stores nationwide and online at morrisons.com:
The nation’s biggest supermarket launches fourth annual Tesco Christmas Report, offering a unique look into how Britain plans to celebrate Christmas 2021
Tesco has liftedthe lid on how the nation plans to spend the festive season in its fourth annual Christmas Report.
Key trends for this year’s festive season include; a growing preference for Christmas brunches and ‘Instagrammable’ spreads, a continued thirst for no and low alcohol, increasingly ‘conscious’ celebrations, a surge in popularity for turkey, and a bleak outlook for traditional Brussels sprouts as younger generations abandon them.
With the supermarket’s data revealing that 86 percent of UK adults claim that nothing will stand in the way of them having a joyful Christmas this year, one thing is for sure – Christmas is officially back, and the nation will be celebrating in style.
Going big and celebrating early
With a desire to return to pre-pandemic celebrations, it’s no surprise that the nation is keen to embrace the festive season like never before. Nearly half (47 percent) of the people surveyed want to spend more time with family than in previous Christmases, while 20 percent want to spend more time with friends. Additionally, a third (33 percent) plan on socialising more, and one in six (15 percent) plan on hosting more parties than in previous years.
However, when it comes to celebrations on December 31st, 18 percent of 18–34-year-olds claim to have started a new New Year’s Eve tradition last year that they’ll be continuing this year – the ‘big night in’. So instead of going out this year, they will be staying at home for when the clock strikes midnight.
With so many people more excited for the festivities than usual, the celebrations are set to begin early with over one in 10 (12 percent) families putting the tree and decorations up by the end of November.
The rise of Christmas brunch
While we’re looking for a return to normality overall, there are new trending occasions that Tesco predicts could become traditions in the not-too-distant future, such as Christmas brunch.
The supermarket’s data revealed an interesting trend for an earlier celebratory meal come Christmas Day, with the festive brunch gaining in popularity particularly among younger adults (18–34-year-olds), a fifth (19 percent) of whom said they would replace their traditional Christmas lunch in favour of a brunch affair.
Insta-perfect centrepieces
When it comes to Christmas dinner, it can’t just be any roast dinner, it’s also got to look great – almost a third (31 percent) of younger adults (18-34-year-olds) plan to put in extra effort to make their festive offerings more Instagrammable this year.
However, it’s not just the youngsters – one in six (16 percent) UK adults of all ages claim they’ll be going all out to make this year’s spread look picture perfect, with men slightly leading the charge (18 percent versus 16 percent).
Popular tactics used to ensure festive offerings are looking good for the ‘gram this year include serving food on platters as opposed to everyday dinner plates (31 percent) and using festive plants and flowers as additional decoration (31 percent).
Food innovation is a key trend for Christmas 2021, with over a third (38 percent) of UK adults seeking out innovative dishes and products. This is especially true of 18-34-year-olds, with 62 percent planning to be innovative with their food and drink choices this year.
Ways in which they plan to do this include buying new, talkable products (20 percent), opting for twists on classics (20 percent), and looking to social media trends for inspiration (15 percent). With this in mind, Tesco has launched a showstopping range of treats such as Tesco Finest Black Forest Christmas Pudding and the Tesco Speculoos Profiterole Gateau.
Turkey reclaims its crown
Despite an increased focus on ‘talkable’ and innovative festive food, when it comes to the centrepiece, turkey is still king. In fact, 68 percent of UK adults plan to tuck into a turkey roast on the 25th, suggesting that many are craving the return of a traditional family Christmas.
Whether it is a full bird, such as a Tesco Finest British Free Range Narragansett Turkey, or smaller crowns, the Christmas bird is more popular than ever.
Plant based Christmas
While traditional turkey is very much in vogue, a quarter (27 percent) of UK adults will be catering for vegan, vegetarian or plant based guests this Christmas.
That said, a quarter (26 percent) of vegans and vegetarians are actually considering pausing their usual diets on the big day so they can enjoy the many meat and dairy dishes on the Christmas table. For those keeping temptation at bay, Tesco is making it easy to enjoy a meat-free celebration with mouth-watering alternatives, like the Tesco Plant Chef Meat-Free Festive Vegan Roast and the Wicked Kitchen No-Turkey Roast Crown.
Popularity of pigs in blankets soars and younger generations ditch the traditional Brussels sprout
The popularity of pigs in blankets continues to soar, with just under two thirds of UK adults claiming them to be their favourite trimming (63 percent) – a 24 percent increase on last year.
A quarter (24 percent) of 25-34-year-olds will eat more than 10 over the Christmas season.
To offer an innovative spin on the side-dish favourite, this year Tesco has launched inventive varieties such as Tesco Finest Pigs in Blankets Candy Canes with Orange & Maple Glaze, and plant based options such as Plant Chef Meat Free Bangers in Blankets and Wicked Kitchen Choriz-NO Pigless Duvets.
Meanwhile, the good old roast potato was named the most essential veg on the Christmas lunch plate for 87 percent of people, replacing carrots, which took the top spot last year but has fallen to third place this year.
Taking the second spot is the divisive Brussels sprout (61 percent), with a 22 percent uplift from 2020 in people citing it as the most essential vegetable on the Christmas dinner plate.
However, the sprout’s position as a festive staple might be at risk, with a clear pattern emerging that shows the vegetable’s popularity waning with each generation. Those aged 75+ are the biggest advocates, with 65 percent declaring their love for them, but this drastically drops to just 26 percent when it comes to 18-24-year-olds.
But even though the vegetable continues to split the nation, more of us still love them than hate them, with 49 percent claiming to ‘love’ them, while only 21 percent claim to ‘hate’ them.
Cheese please
Over two thirds (71 percent) of the nation will tuck into a cheese board on Christmas Day, with Cheddar (52 percent), Brie (36 percent) and Stilton (24 percent) set to be the top cheeses chosen.
However, younger adults (18–34-year-olds) were four times as likely to opt for adventurous cheese like Halloumi (12 percent) compared to the over 60s (3 percent). Its new position as a festive staple saw sales of Halloumi soar by 33 percent in the five weeks leading up to Christmas last year.
A not so merry Christmas
For the big day itself, red wine was named the top tipple of choice by 29 percent of UK adults, overtaking white (27 percent), which took the top spot in 2020.
The nation is also partial to a glass of the finer things, as nearly a fifth (19 percent) say they’ll have Champagne on Christmas day.
However, the recent growth in mindful drinking seems set to continue with a quarter (24 percent) of UK adults set to opt for no and low alcohol tipples only on the big day itself – a 10 percent increase on last year (15 percent). Brighton (40 percent), Norwich (40 percent) and Cardiff (35 percent) are the capitals of this growing trend.
Conscious Christmas celebrations
Last year was a year like no other – but there are signs that the events have made more people aware of social issues and become more active in their communities.
This Christmas 34 percent of Brits will donate to a food bank, with one in five (20 percent) gifting via an in-store collection point, whilst one in 10 (9 percent) will give warm clothes to the homeless or to a shelter, and a further 9 percent will help a neighbour in need.
Giving to charity will also prove to be important to many, particularly amongst the older generation (55-74-year-olds) with just under a third (33 percent) of this age group donating money to a charity.
The younger generation are also being thoughtful in innovative ways, with over one in 10 (11 percent) 18-34-year-olds asking for charity donations in lieu of Christmas gifts.
As well as charitable acts, this Christmas is also set to be an environmentally aware one. Over 36 percent of the nation plans on being more sustainable over the festive period and 49 percent claim that thinking about the environment will impact their purchasing decisions this Christmas.
Ways in which the nation plans to be more sustainable this Christmas include reusing old Christmas decorations (49 percent), recycling wrapping and packaging (43 percent), buying loose fruit and veg (42 percent), being more precise with quantities to ensure minimal food waste (36 percent) and cooking with leftovers (33 percent).
Alessandra Bellini, Tesco Chief Customer Officer said: “As we enjoy the freedom to extend the dinner table and make wonderful memories, it’s perhaps no surprise that 86 percent of the nation say nothing will stop them from having a joyful Christmas in 2021.
“In our fourth annual Tesco Christmas Report, we’ve lifted the lid on what the seasonal comeback will look like – from reviving family traditions to finding new food occasions and being sustainably savvy throughout celebrations.
“However you choose to spend this Christmas, Tesco is here to help you mark the moments that matter, with innovative, quality products at excellent value for money. On behalf of Tesco, we wish you a Merry Christmas.”
£5 Christmas Dinner and a Festive Afternoon Tea for Two
Let the festive feasting commence with the launch of Morrisons new limited edition Christmas café menu – now available in all 406 Morrisons cafés nationwide – which includes a full Christmas dinner for just £5.
Start the day right with our Pigs Under Blankets Sandwich for £2.95, which has succulent pork sausages, nestled in a Morrisons Market Street ciabatta roll.
And for lunch, customers can tuck into our new Brie and Cranberry toastie – an ultimate flavour mash-up, made fresh to order and served with a side salad – you can also add crispy bacon for just £1. Or for something a little lighter, there’s The Best Festive Parsnip Soup. A true winter warmer priced at £3, it’s served with a Market Street ciabatta roll and butter.
For the main event we’ve got our Christmas Turkey Lunch with all the trimmings for just £5. Succulent hand carved Morrisons deli turkey is served with roast potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, stuffing, yorkshire pudding, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce and gravy.
Burger fans can enjoy a festive twist on a classic with the new Morrisons Chickmas Burger for £5, which includes our Market Street Southern Fried chicken fillet topped with brie and cranberry sauce stacked in a brioche bun with coleslaw and chips.
Not forgetting the all important Christmas pudding for dessert, which is packed with raisins and sultanas and served with custard – for £3.
Or why not try our Festive Afternoon Tea for Two? For just £12, it includes a selection of sandwiches, cakes, mince pies served with British clotted cream – all served with proper Yorkshire Tea.
Ali Lyons, Morrisons Head of Café, said:“We know customers are embracing Christmas early this year, so we hope this menu will give all the flavours of Christmas, without breaking the bank!
“To help customers in the run up to Christmas, we’re also offering £5 main meals on a selected number of delicious Morrisons café dishes. Customer favourites include our Best Beef Burger which is stacked in our The Best Brioche Bun with cheese, salad and burger or a Crispy Chicken Burger using Market Street Succulent chicken.
“For Pie lovers there’s our Market Street Chunky Steak Pie which is served with mash, mushy peas and piping hot gravy.”
– Better Origin insect ‘mini farms’ to be installed on 10 Morrisons egg farms to provide natural food for free range hens –
– Reducing soya from 10 farms’ feed would remove 5,737 tonnes of CO² and save 56 hectares of South American land from deforestation every year –
Morrisons will reduce the use of soya feed at 10 of its free range egg farms as it works towards becoming the first supermarket to launch own brand carbon neutral eggs in 2022.
New Better Origin insect ‘mini farms’ will be introduced onto the UK egg farms to feed the hens, who will also receive a supplementary diet of British beans, peas and sunflower seeds. The ‘mini farm’ containers, in which millions of insects are kept, will provide nutrient rich and natural food for the hens.
The insects will be fed on waste from Morrisons own fruit and veg site in Yorkshire – creating one of the UK’s first ‘circular waste’ feeding schemes within the same company to produce food. Over 30 tonnes of fruit and veg waste will be recycled each week.
Soya currently accounts for 10-20% of hens’ normal diets. Up to 70% of the emissions from the UK’s supply chain[1] is attributed to feed, of which soya is a major contributor. Reducing soya and feeding insects food waste on these 10 farms alone is expected to save 56 hectares of South American land from deforestation every year, where half of the world’s soybean is currently farmed. It will also reduce CO² emissions by 5,737 tonnes and save 40 billion litres of water annually[2].
Morrisons expects the first carbon neutral eggs to arrive on its shelves in 2022. This will be followed by carbon neutral options for fruit, vegetables and meat in the coming years as a result of its commitment to be supplied only by net zero British farms by 2030.
The insect units have been developed by agritech company Better Origin. Each container can help feed 32,000 free range hens and will receive three tonnes of waste from Morrisons fruit and vegetable site each week. The insects can grow to 5,000 times their initial body mass in less than 14 days. Collectively the 10 containers will feed 320,000 free range hens who lay millions of eggs a year.
Insects are a natural part of birds’ ancestral diets and wild birds seek out insects as they forage. Studies by Better Origin and the Universities of Bristol and Turin have found that insect feed improves bird health and welfare. The insects are nutritious and rich in essential amino acids and healthy fats. They have no impact on the quality, taste or shelf life of the hens’ eggs.
Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture at Morrisons, said:“Reducing soya from livestock feed is one of the key challenges for farms needing to lower their carbon footprint and we wanted to help find a solution.
“An insect diet could suit our hens better – they seem to enjoy it – and the nutritional and added health benefits are notable. We’re also finding a good home for our fruit and veg waste. We think that this could be part of the future of egg farming.”
Fotis Fotiadis, CEO and Founder of Better Origin, said:“We are delighted to be working with Morrisons to decarbonise their food supply chain and reduce soya reliance.
“Our vision is for the initial rollout to scale across all Morrisons egg farms which would reduce 40,180 tonnes of CO²-eq per year. Achieving Net Zero is a massive challenge that needs collaboration and determination, and we hope this is the year that more food providers and producers take meaningful action.”
Morrisons has embarked on a programme to be completely supplied by net zero carbon British farms[3] by 2030, five years ahead of the market.
Over the next nine years, Morrisons is working with its 3,000 farmers and growers to produce affordable ‘net zero’ carbon meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables. As part of the programme, Morrisons will also work with universities, farming and countryside organisations and carbon experts.
[1] For chicken
2 Which equates to over 16,000 Olympic size swimming pools
