Biggest support effort since World War II thanks to wholesalers

Thousands of the nation’s most vulnerable people have received essential food parcels courtesy of a Bidfood and Brakes effort.

More than half a million packages have been delivered by the foodservice giants across the UK in what’s been described as the biggest support effort on home soil since World War II.

The foodservice wholesalers joined forces as part of a Defra initiative to get food to Britain’s most isolated and vulnerable people, who don’t have access to friends and family locally to make drop offs for them.

The milestone was achieved less than a month after the shielding scheme was launched, with thousands more deliveries planned as the Covid-19 outbreak rumbles on.

As part of the programme, partnerships called Local Resilience Forums were formed – including Brakes and Bidfood – to manage local response to the national emergency.

And Communities Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick, reserved special praise for the people making the effort possible.

“This is very challenging time for those having to be shielded from the coronavirus,” said Jenrick.

“I said at the start of this national emergency that while people need to spend more time at home, we would make sure that they never felt alone and I’ve been pleased to hear that our food packages are helping make life that bit easier.

“We’ve already delivered over half a million food packages to the most vulnerable and we will be delivering hundreds of thousands more food packages in the coming weeks.

“I want to relay my own personal thanks to all those delivering these packages to communities around the country led by the local alliance we have put in place. They are among the many unsung heroes are working alongside councils and volunteers to support those who need it most.”

Bidfood Brakes coronavirus covid-19 deliveries Government Robert Jenrick wholesale