All the right ingredients make the biscuit in manufacturing first for charity

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  • Leading UK food charity FareShare set to distribute Elkes Biscuits – with all ingredients provided free under the charity’s Alliance Food Sourcing – part of the Coronation Food Project
    • Elkes Biscuits, in partnership with British Sugar, Allied Mills and Whitworths Bros, has produced a classic digestive biscuit which is being distributed to projects across the UK
    • Boparan-owned Elkes is playing a leading role in helping the wider portfolio of Boparan companies deliver up to 50m equivalent meal portions over the next 10 years

Uttoxeter Biscuit maker Elkes has teamed up with one of Britain’s leading food charities to mastermind a manufacturing first by bringing together partners to create a tasty snacking treat where every single ingredient has been donated solely to feed those in need.

FareShare has teamed up with Elkes Biscuits, British Sugar, Allied Mills and Whitworths to create more than 150 tonnes of Classic Digestive biscuits which will distributed around FareShare’s nationwide network of more than 8,000 charities.

Boparan-owned Elkes will make the biscuits at its Uttoxeter factory as well as provide all the packaging and additional ingredients of the deal. The other partners will provide the sugar, biscuit flour and wholemeal flour. Production started in November and will roll-out until the end of the year, providing those in need with one of the UK’s favourite biscuit ranges. Even the packaging was kindly supplied free of charge by packaging experts Saica Pack Ltd.

Last year, Boparan owner Ranjit Singh urged other manufacturers and suppliers to join him and help tackle the continuing food insecurity crisis gripping UK households.

According to the latest Food Foundation tracker, 14% of UK households – comprising 7.2 million adults and 2.7 million children – experienced food insecurity, meaning that during summer 2024, they could not afford food, skipped meals or did not eat for a whole day. It is estimated this figure has doubled in the last three years.

Jonathan Russell, Elkes Biscuits Managing Director, said: “This is a great initiative and a true first for the FareShare Alliance Food Sourcing programme. I would like to thank all partners that have made this happen and I hope it is the first of many such initiatives we’ll be part of in the future. It requires a big effort from our supply chain and it’s fantastic to see so much goodwill and support.”

Kris Gibbon-Walsh, FareShare CEO, said: “We are delighted to see so many brilliant partners coming together to support this initiative, which we hope will be the first of many. By working in collaboration across supply chains, Alliance Food Sourcing has huge potential to scale up food redistribution and reach more people in need. Every day, we redistribute food to a network of over 8,000 charities in every region of the UK, from homelessness shelters and afterschool clubs to refuges and older people’s lunch clubs. With the additional food resulting from Alliance Food Sourcing, these groups can bring people together through food, fostering connections and access essential support services. Working together, we can harness the power of surplus food to strengthen communities across the UK and help individuals and their communities thrive.” 

Nick Donovan, Commercial Director at Allied Mills: “Allied Milling & Baking has supported FareShare since 2016, and we’re honoured to be part of this inspiring new initiative, which calls on food manufacturers to lend their resources and expertise to help UK households experiencing food insecurity. With Christmas just around the corner, we’re delighted to have donated our flour for a special biscuit created exclusively for FareShare by Elkes Biscuits.”

Keith Packer, Managing Director of British Sugar: “We’re honoured to have been involved in this initiative, by providing sugar towards the manufacture of the biscuits. It’s great to see this level of collaboration across the food manufacturing industry, all coming together to support such a good cause.”

A spokesperson for Whitworths Bros Ltd said: “We are extremely happy to support the FareShare programme, flour is an essential ingredient of biscuits, and our team are thrilled to be contributing to the associated charities and community groups across the UK on behalf of this programme partnering with Boparan businesses.”

Since its launch last year, the Coronation Food Project, inspired by His Majesty The King, has seen 940 tonnes of additional surplus food rescued, with 1,900 tonnes more donated; £715,000 has been circulated in community food grants; and £15m has been raised to officially open the first two Coronation Food Hubs in Merseyside and South London.

One year ago, Mr Boparan joined senior leaders from the UK food industry signed a historic pledge supporting the Coronation Food Project. Since then, the industry has mobilised around a pioneering initiative to create a sustainable, systemic approach to surplus food redistribution across the UK food sector, generating millions more meals for people in need.

The Boparan food empire – which ranges from chicken production, ready meals, Bernard Matthews and Elkes Biscuits – will provide further millions of equivalent meals food using surplus products and leveraging critical support from across his supply chain.