Morrisons reaches 25 million meal mark in help for The Bread & Butter Thing

Morrisons has supplied the equivalent of 25 million meals to Bread and Butter since 2021, with a record-breaking 10 million meals provided this year alone.

Morrisons has supplied the equivalent of 25 million meals to Bread and Butter since 2021, with a record-breaking 10 million meals provided this year alone.

 With weeks to go before the end of 2024, figures reveal the supermarket has given a total of 10,500 tonnes of food to the Manchester-based charity over the past three years, which is a saving of 20,000,000KG CO2.

As well as demonstrating the retailer’s ongoing commitment to the bread and butter thing, the statistics also show the crucial role it  has played in helping the bread and butter thing provide healthy, fresh food to low-income communities as they battle the cost-of-living crisis. With food price inflation peaking at 19.1% in March 2023, struggling families have had to be more savvy to stretch their budgets.

Pensioner, Gill said “As soon as Bread and Butter day rolls around, I head down early to catch up with friends and get my bags. I make sure I have no plans that afternoon as I’ll be in my kitchen cooking up a storm and filling my freezer for the weeks to come. Whatever I don’t use, I share with my neighbours and elderly parents. I don’t know how we coped before.” 

Morrisons have been a long-term champion of Bread and Butter, supporting the charity with surplus food since its first ‘one man in a van’ days back in 2016. Bread and Butter now operates 130 food clubs across England with five more opening in January 2025. 

Bread and Butter’s founder Mark Game said: “As an organisation, Morrisons is built on the same values as we are. They don’t get the recognition they deserve as the forward-thinking pioneers that they are. When it was just me, getting food out to the local people who needed support, it was Morrisons that were quick to provide. They didn’t care about size, scale or getting credit, they were just concerned with getting their surplus stock out to food insecure families. And that is why our partnership has thrived.”

“When I was first picking up three pallets of mixed produce in my Sprinter, I never dreamed that eight years later, we’d be at this massive milestone. Our members have benefitted on so many levels from the sheer quality and variety of the food we get from Morrisons.  And we hope to be able to go even further in 2025, providing even more incredible fresh food to our ever-growing membership.”

Morrisons chief executive Rami Baitiéh said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone which reflects our long-standing commitment to food redistribution and helping those who are less fortunate. Our enduring partnership with The Bread and Butter Thing has helped thousands of families put food on the table, and there will be no let up in our donations as we enter the festive period."

Single mum of four, Sarah is a Bread and Butter member and volunteer said, “Bread and Butter has helped me rebuild my confidence so much, I struggle with severe depression but Bread and Butter gets me out of the house and gives me something to do. This Christmas is not going to happen in the usual way. There’s nothing going spare after I’ve paid the bills. I’m lucky that my mum has given me £30 each for the kids so at least they’ll have something to open on the day.”

 The charity aims to tackle food waste, improve diets and help families who have been hit by soaring food prices.

 The Bread and Butter Thing will continue to open as usual throughout the festive period and will be open for suppliers dealing with their complex issues around surpluses at the busiest time of the year.