A BRADFORD bakery has agreed a deal which will see its food waste help people in need across the country.

Baker & Baker, which has a manufacturing site on Cutler Heights Lane, will be working closely with FareShare to redistribute its products and ingredients from across its four UK manufacturing site, that would otherwise be destined for food waste.

It follows a successful trial in Bradford which saw over four tonnes of bakery products donated last year.

FareShare is the leading food redistribution charity in the UK which operates a national network and supports more than 9,500 charities throughout the UK.

It works by redistributing surplus food to charities that turn it into meals. In 2022 FareShare redistributed food equivalent to 126 million meals.

The partnership forms one strand of Baker & Baker’s approach to deliver sustainable business initiatives across its manufacturing operations.

It said reducing food wastage will also have a positive impact on Baker & Baker’s carbon footprint and as a component of the business’s strategy to move towards net zero.

Baker & Baker is a major European bakery company that employs 450 people in Bradford and has UK sites in Bradford, Ashington, Bromborough and Daventry.

The partnership with FareShare covers its four UK manufacturing sites.

John Lindsay, Baker & Baker CEO, said: “We’re extremely excited to begin working with FareShare in the UK.

“Food waste can sometimes be unavoidable, including surplus stock that remains perfectly safe to eat. In these instances, the responsible course of action is to ensure organisations such as FareShare can redistribute products to those most in need.

“FareShare and their network undertake some fantastic initiatives in communities throughout the country, and as such, we believe they are the perfect partner for Baker & Baker.”

Lucy Allison, head of food industry at FareShare, said: “We are delighted to be working with Baker & Baker to redistribute surplus from their sites to charities and community groups across the UK.

“The cost-of-living crisis has had a disproportionate impact on people struggling to make ends meet, and we are so appreciative to work with companies like Baker & Baker that share our vision that no good food should go to waste. We look forward to seeing this partnership flourish.”

Baker & Baker is one of the UK’s leading sweet bakery manufacturers, supplying a range of doughnuts, muffins, brownies, cookies and cakes to customers in the retail, food service, wholesale and artisan bakery sectors.