15 tonnes of long-life food delivered to food larders across Milton Keynes

Around 15 tonnes of long-life food has been delivered to food larders across Milton Keynes following a £20,000 cost-of-living donation by Milton Keynes City Council.

The funding, provided as part of the City Council’s £3.3m Winter Plan, means residents now have access to thousands of heavily discounted food items including:

• 2,700 packs of spaghetti
• Over 10,000 tins of vegetables
• 1,000 tins of peaches
• Nearly 7,000 tins of beans
• 5,000 tins of tuna
• 3,840 tins of soup

The items have been added to the stock of the city’s nine food larders, where anyone can pay a small weekly fee to have access to surplus groceries at subsidised rates. By joining a food larder, an individual could save up to £400 per year on their weekly shop while preventing perfectly good food from going to landfill.

This comes as food prices are at their highest level in 45 years, with food inflation hitting 18.3%.

Councillor Jane Carr, Cabinet Member for Tackling Social Inequalities, said:

“We launched the Winter Plan to mitigate the devastating impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on families across Milton Keynes. Through the Winter Plan we have funded warm spaces, helped households with energy bills, and provided grants for people in immediate hardship. I’m pleased that this fund has also gone towards purchasing thousands of food items for hard-working families, especially when people are struggling to afford to put dinner on the table.” 

The food larders are run by charity SOFEA, with other local organisations including Age UK and Citizens Advice also visiting the larders to host helpful advice sessions.

Woughton & Fishermead Ward Councillor Sue Smith, who is also Chair of Woughton Community Council, added:

“Food larders play a crucial role in tackling food poverty, as they give people the chance to buy food at incredibly low prices. There are several food larders in my ward, and I’ve seen first-hand how great they are at giving people access to low-cost food and other support services, while also tackling social isolation.”

More information and the locations of the food larders can be found at: https://www.sofea.uk.com/

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The City Council’s £3.3m Winter Plan was launched in November 2022 to help residents with the soaring cost of living: https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/Winter%20Plan.pdf