Introducing the Quality Food Awards charity partners for 2023: City Harvest London and Retail Trust

City Harvest London

Who are City Harvest London?

City Harvest is London's leading food rescue charity addressing both food waste and food poverty. They deliver surplus food to over 375 charities, including food banks, schools, hostels, soup kitchens, community centres, faith groups and refuges.

Every week, City Harvest rescues over 80 tonnes of surplus food, which equates to 1.1 million meals. They provide this food, free of charge, to charitable organisations across the capital. Did you know the London food industry throws away enough surplus food to create 13.3 million nutritious meals? That's enough to feed every single person struggling to afford enough food to eat in London.

The problem is, there is a significant cost associated with rescuing, and distributing, this food. City Harvest London has 18 refrigerated vans that are on the road 7 days a week, delivering food across 26 boroughs. For every £1 donated to City Harvest London, 4 meals can be delivered to someone in need. Rises in fuel prices, combined with an increased demand due to food price inflation, has had a major impact on the charity and they need more support than ever to get this surplus food to the right people when they need it.

What are the Quality Food Awards doing to help?

Here at the Quality Food Awards, we are going to donate any leftover ambient, chilled and frozen food and drink products to City Harvest London following judging. As well as this food going to a brilliant cause, it also gives peace of mind to you, our award entrants, that the samples you provide us as part of your entries, will not be going to waste. What can you do to help? Head over to the City Harvest website, by following the link below, to discover how you can get involved and help support this great cause.

Find out more about City Harvest London

Retail Trust

Who are the Retail Trust?

Retail Trust cares for, and protects, the lives of people working in retail. They believe that the health of our colleagues is the foundation they need to flourish in both work and life, creating a more sustainable and successful future for retail. Their cause is to create hope, health and happiness for everyone in retail.

Retail Trust was founded in 1832 by their very first Chairman, Thomas Helps, and he described the purpose of the charity as, "To promote the happiness and interests of those engaged in the trade, whose industry, integrity and character were too often insufficient to rescue them from suffering and want."

They have a 24 hour wellbeing helpline providing counselling services, cognitive behavioural therapy and critical incident support, they provide financial aid to those in need and assist in developing Wellbeing Warriors to build confidence for line managers and providing training courses.

What are the Quality Food Awards doing to help?

This year marks the second year the Quality Food Awards are working with the Retail Trust.

We are working with the trust to raise awareness and spread the word about the brilliant work that they do across the UK. How can you get involved? By partnering with the Retail Trust, you can help to transform people's lives.

Head over to the Retail Trust website, by following the link below, to find out more about their Emergency Appeal, upcoming events and to discover how you can donate:

Find out more about the Retail Trust

Entries for this year's UK Quality Food Awards are open until Friday 23 June 2023.

Browse the food and drink categories here.

Good luck!