Whitbread turns 200 tonnes of surplus food into half a million meals for charity

A hotel chain's quick action turned excess food into lifelines for the vulnerable. Discover how Whitbread's partnership with FareShare made a difference.

, and Administrator

2026 March 23 . 1:15 AM

1 min read

The image shows a group of people standing around a table with bags of food, wearing masks and... — The image shows a group of people standing around a table with bags of food, wearing masks and caps. On the table there are bottles and other items, and in the background there are banners with text. There are also trees and buildings with windows, as well as other people, suggesting that the scene is taking place in a public space. The people in the image appear to be distributing food to those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Whitbread turns 200 tonnes of surplus food into half a million meals for charity

Whitbread stepped up efforts to combat food waste and support vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company diverted over 200 tonnes of surplus food—enough for more than half a million meals—to charity in 2020. Much of this went to FareShare, a redistribution network helping thousands across the UK.

When the first national lockdown began in March 2020, Whitbread acted quickly. It provided rooms for key workers and assisted supermarkets under strain. At the same time, its teams raised £100,000 for Great Ormond Street Children's Charity.

The surplus food came from Premier Inn hotels and included steaks, fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, eggs, and cheese. Whitbread's logistics centres transported the supplies to FareShare, which then distributed them to frontline charities. These included homeless shelters, community centres, school breakfast clubs, and food banks nationwide.

Since the pandemic started, the partnership between Whitbread and FareShare has reached over 10,000 community facilities. Hospitals, schools, and food banks all received donations. FareShare itself expanded operations, doubling its weekly output to over 2 million meals.

Whitbread has also set a long-term goal to cut food waste by 50% by 2030. The company is working with suppliers and staff to find ways of reducing surplus and improving efficiency.

The diverted food has already helped thousands of people struggling during the pandemic. With FareShare's network, the supplies reached those most in need across the country. Whitbread's efforts form part of a wider push to tackle food waste while supporting communities in crisis.