FareShare has adapted its way of working to ensure it can carry on distributing much-needed food to charities. Photo: Mowi.

Mask and you shall receive: Mowi keeps charity supply line open

Mowi Consumer Products donated enough salmon to charitable food outlets last year for 10,000 meals, and has been making sure that those in need still get fish despite the restrictions caused by Covid-19.

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Packs of various fresh salmon products, including cold smoked, hot smoked and marinated, are picked up daily at the processing and packaging facility in Rosyth, and transported by UK charitable food distribution network FareShare to drop off points around Fife and surrounding areas.

Mowi and FareShare have had to make changes to their business arrangement because of Covid-19, but social distancing doesn’t mean distancing from society.

Gary Paterson: Shared values.

Fife region

“We have been partnered with FareShare since early 2017,” said Gary Paterson, head of operations for Mowi Consumer Products UK. “Our shared values were evident when we first met, and we were very keen to ensure that any surplus products, no matter how small, were donated to a charity to feed the various people in the community that would otherwise not be able to get the level of protein in their diet for one reason or another.

“The majority of our protein is distributed within the Fife region to local communities here in Rosyth, Dunfermline as well as other parts of Fife, Perthshire and Tayside.”

FareShare’s network redistributes food that is nutritious, in-date and good to eat. It reaches charities across the UK and provides enough food every week to create over a million meals for vulnerable people.

Vital service

Rachel Carr, network development manager of FareShare Scotland, said: “More than eight million people across the UK were already struggling to afford food even before the lockdown measures, and we know many more are now facing financial hardship. That’s why, now more than ever, it is vital that we ensure the vulnerable have access to good, nutritious food.

“The fish supplied to FareShare by Mowi is extremely valuable for the charities we supply and the vulnerable people they serve – not least because of their high nutritional value, but also the costs saved by charities by not having to buy in-store.

“With demand for our service rising, we are proud to work with Mowi to get food onto the plates of those who need it most.”