Nothing says Christmas like Christmas pudding smothered in creamy custard. Stonehaven-based food ingredients manufacturer, Macphie of Glenbervie, is spreading some festive cheer this year by donating 840 litres of its delicious custard – the equivalent of 7,000 portions – to two local charities, Aberdeen FareShare (operated by Community Food Initiatives North East) and Aberdeen Cyrenians.
Every day, thousands of homeless and vulnerable individuals and children receive nutritiously balanced meals, thanks to FareShare Aberdeen and the Cyrenians. Recently, the charity said it had seen a 20% rise in the number of people it was feeding, from 29,500 a year to 35,000.
Macphie Sales and Marketing Director, Andrew Underwood, said: “We are mindful that charities like FareShare may be struggling in the current financial climate. We wanted to donate some food to help others who are less fortunate. We hope to build on this and help raise awareness of the invaluable work FareShare does locally.”
Deputy Chief Executive of Community Food Initiatives North East, Fiona Rae, said: “FareShare works with food companies to redistribute their surplus food all year round. We are very grateful for generous donations of food from companies such as Macphie that will help us give the people we support in Aberdeen a bit of extra Christmas cheer. We are currently expanding our supplier base and we are very grateful to Macphie for their generous support.’
FareShare operates in 17 UK locations. Its work in the run-up to Christmas is particularly important, as it will provide food for approximately 250,000 Christmas lunches and dinners. Last year, it helped contribute towards 8.6 million meals for vulnerable people.
FareShare is always looking for volunteers, including drivers to help with the collection and delivery of food. And it puts cash donations to good use – just £1 donated to FareShare will help it deliver four meals over Christmas and throughout the rest of the year. If you would like to get involved with FareShare please contact Fiona Rae on 01224 596156.