Ranjit Singh Boparan, a leading food entrepreneur and owner of 2 Sisters Food Group, has called on other manufacturers to join him in combating the food insecurity crisis affecting UK households. Boparan's announcement comes in the wake of alarming food insecurity statistics, which show that one in five families with children have recently gone hungry or skipped meals due to financial constraints.
Current Statistics:
- Food Foundation tracker: 15% of UK households, equating to about eight million adults and three million children, experienced food insecurity in 2024
- This figure has doubled over the past three years, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis
Boparan's Commitment:
- Boparan highlighted the moral responsibility to address hunger, particularly emphasizing that no child should go to sleep hungry
- In partnership with M&S, Boparan has committed to supporting the King’s Coronation Food Project to enhance FareShare’s distribution efforts
- He urges individual food companies to step up their efforts to alleviate food insecurity
Support and Collaboration:
- Boparan acknowledged the critical support of companies like Magnavale, which are aiding in storage and distribution
- In November 2023, Boparan met with His Majesty the King to support the Coronation Food Project. This initiative, in collaboration with the IGD, encourages supermarkets and food manufacturers to join FareShare’s "Alliance Manufacturing" program to redistribute surplus food
Ambitious Goals:
- Boparan has set an ambitious goal to donate five million meals annually through a combination of partnerships and surplus product donations
- The Thetford production facility has pledged to donate one million meal servings in May alone, featuring products like coated chicken steaks and fillets branded with the FareShare logo