His Majesty King Charles III made a special visit to the iconic Fortnum & Mason department store in London this afternoon, marking a significant milestone for his ambitious Coronation Food Project. The initiative, launched two years ago to create a lasting legacy from his ascent to the throne, has already made a profound impact, rescuing thousands of tonnes of excess produce to be redistributed to those in need.
The 77-year-old monarch was escorted through the upmarket store's kitchens by Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock, the project's Founder, and Dame Martina Milburn, its chair. The King was visibly engaged as he was shown a selection of the meals and products distributed through the project, ranging from cereals to fresh meat and vegetables.
A Nationwide Impact Against Hunger
The scale of the project's success is staggering. Since its inception in 2023, the initiative has facilitated the delivery of eleven million extra portions of food nationwide. This effort directly addresses the urgent challenge of tackling hunger in vulnerable communities, a cause the King is particularly keen to support.
To further strengthen food distribution networks, a remarkable £20 million has been raised to supercharge the project's efforts. Fortnum & Mason, a royal warrant holder, plays a crucial role, providing daily food collections from its Piccadilly store. Last year alone, its contributions amounted to the equivalent of approximately 10,200 meals.
Meeting the Changemakers
During his visit, King Charles met with key figures driving change in the sector. He spoke animatedly with chefs from The Felix Project, a key partner, who were preparing canapés from surplus foodstuffs. The King even joked with photographers while posing behind the counter, quipping, 'Thank God I didn't have to drink a huge glass of beer for you all!'
He also held discussions with chief executives from Alliance Food Sourcing, a collaborative group leading systemic change in food production and retail regarding waste food reuse. Representatives from major charities like FareShare and manufacturers including 2 Sisters Food Group and Greencore were present, alongside retail giants Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, and Marks & Spencer.
Among the attendees was Charlie Bingham, founder of the eponymous ready-meal firm. He spoke passionately to the King about his company's work to repurpose surplus food. 'The waste each year from the food industry could feed three million people in the UK three meals a day,' Bingham stated afterwards, highlighting the immense scale of the issue.
A Royal Legacy of Convening Power
In a short speech, Baroness Casey outlined the project's achievements, telling the King, 'Two years later there are 50 businesses involved… £20 million raised….and eleven million meals have been created by what you inspired.'
Dame Martina later emphasised the King's pivotal role, revealing, 'None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for His Majesty. It was his idea... The King is always a huge draw, if he says he wants a meeting then people will attend.'
The project now operates hubs in Merseyside, Birmingham, and London, and its grants programme has awarded £907,990 to 33 organisations nationwide. Despite the progress, the King acknowledged the work is far from over, telling the crowd, 'I am sorry to add to all your woes but there's still a great more to do.' This sentiment is underscored by the stark reality that the UK wastes over 10 million tonnes of food annually while nearly one in seven households experiences food insecurity.
