These are truly unprecedented times. We are living with fear, anxiety, uncertainty and many people are facing the very real threat of illness, financial troubles and a lack of basic human needs, including food. We are becoming familiar with images on the news of empty supermarket shelves; whilst some are stockpiling, others are going hungry. PM Boris Johnson has praised British society for coming together in the face of adversity and individuals and businesses, including the team at Quattro Foods, are looking for ways to put their skills and services to work for the greater good. We have partnered with local Portsmouth charity The Hive, to help those facing serious food shortages.
At Quattro Foods we are struggling, like so many other businesses, to continue day to day operations and to maintain business as usual. Business is not as usual but, like no other time in our history, we are pulling together as a team and facing this challenge head-on. Our work supplying a number of NHS trusts and their increased need for supply is keeping some of the team busy and, on top of that, we’re taking our pledge to feed the nation more seriously than ever. How do we harness an overstocking issue to tackle a hunger crisis that is being exacerbated daily by COVID-19?
There’s a misconception in the media that all food manufacturers are busier than ever, but that is only true for those who supply supermarkets or those who manufacture ambient goods. The reality is that the hospitality sector is in real danger and their suppliers, of which Quattro Foods is one, must work hard to find ways of seeing this crisis through as a business and helping people at the same time.
Team Quattro is thinking outside the box.
Fresh Direct contacted us regarding some surplus stock they had, as a result of cancelled orders. They have very kindly agreed to donate this to us and we will use our team and some additional ingredients, along with any spare capacity we have, to turn it into pasta sauce, curries and soups. Solent Butchers also donated some meat to add to the cooking pot. With the help of Hive and Pompey in the Community charities, we will distribute these products to needy people in Portsmouth. These charities are dedicated to helping our local area’s most vulnerable residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thank you, Fresh Direct and Solent Butchers, on behalf of local vulnerable people.
The amount of food potentially going to waste is shocking. Retailers need far less, yet there are so many hungry people out there. At Quattro Foods we will continue to help in any way we can.
We will continue supporting Hive and Pompey in the Community in their missions to help the NHS and Social Care workers, young families and care homes. They are also seeking fridges around the city to help store food in the community.
The global pandemic is killing thousands every day and is forcing us to face a reality that none of us ever contemplated. Locked indoors to preserve the safety of our families and the wider community, concerned about elderly or vulnerable friends and neighbours, this tragic crisis has only one upside – an increased social awareness and a sense of responsibility that we are seeing across generations, in communities and through business.
Quattro Foods, together with Hive, Pompey in the Community and thousands of other businesses, charities and individuals across the country are coming together to ensure the most vulnerable amongst us are supported.
Together we will get through these trying times, stronger and more united.