A new food box service could help alleviate the pressure on Britain's biggest supermarkets by delivering thousands of hampers to elderly residents and frontline NHS staff every week.
The scheme, run by Steve Allen, founder of food importing service, Aurora Food Marketing, will deliver essentials to their doorsteps - ensuring no one goes without, including families with small children who have been turned away at supermarkets.
In the past fortnight, supermarkets have reached full capacity online, with many shoppers being told to wait up to a month for their orders to arrive.
Families are also being turned away at store entrances for queuing with children - despite having no other childcare options due to school closures and grandparents in isolation.
It's left many feeling helpless about how they will put food on the table for their loved ones.
Allen, who founded the idea, has used stock that would have otherwise gone to restaurant chains, to create the food bundles.
He's joined forces with online frozen food business, Gold Standard Nutrition, who will pick and pack the chilled and frozen items into insulated vegetable and meat hampers for next-day delivery to the public.
Customers will then receive a text message when their order is on its way - along with an estimated arrival time. The driver will respect social distancing and not expect a signature.
"As a country we eat out as much as we eat in our homes, particularly in our busy cities," Allen explained.
"When the Government moved to a lockdown status and forced the nation to change its habits overnight, it was a massive shock to individuals and the system that provides food for them.
"The supermarkets saw panic-buying and the food service providers; our restaurants, pubs and cafés basically ground to a halt, leaving excess supplies of bulky items in storage facilities around the UK. The supermarket packers had to step up massively and the catering industry was letting go of its capacity."
Aurora sister company www.mygsn.co.uk have already delivered meals to frontline workers at Kings College Hospital in London, but now it wants to help others who are facing a crisis.
The hampers come in three different sizes, and contain enough products to last at least 7 days if kept chilled.
They can be purchased online at www.properfoods.co.uk from £39, plus £5,99 for delivery,
The model replicates similar food boxes at Morrisons and Marks & Spencer.
Morrisons became the first supermarket to launch the initiative last week, offering a hamper with enough food and other essentials to last two people one week.
The veggie and meat boxes cost £30 plus £5 delivery, with the option to get them as soon as the next day as long as you make the 3pm cut off.
The boxes contain:
- Canned baked beans, soup and pasta sauce
- Milk
- Dairy products such as butter and cheese
- Bread
- Rice and pasta
- Vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots and onions
- Fresh meat such as chicken or beef or Vegetarian proteins
- Essential household items such as kitchen towel and loo roll
High street chain Marks & Spencer is also doing the same for £35.
The boxes include everyday items such as toilet roll, tea, coffee, rice, pasta as well as tins of soup and baked beans.
There are also a few luxuries in there like Percy Pigs, shortbread biscuits, salted peanuts and chocolate buttons.
Those who want to get their hands on a box can order them online at marksandspencer.com.
The full box includes:
- Fusilli (500g)
- Baked beans (220g)
- Tomato and herb pasta sauce (550g)
- Beef Bolognese pour over pasta sauce (340g)
- Chunky vegetable soup (400g)
- Basmati rice (500g)
- Cream of tomato soup (400g)
- Chunky steak (206g)
- Rich roast instant coffee (100g)
- English breakfast tea bags (125g/50 bags)
- Scottish all butter homebake style shortbread squares (200g)
- Dark chocolate (100g)
- Milk chocolate (100g)
- Prime corned beef (205g)
- Wild Alaskan red salmon (213g)
- Vegetable curry (400g)
- Roasted and salted large peanuts (200g)
- Giant milk chocolate buttons (150g)
- Percy Pig™ (170g)
- Soft white 2-ply toilet tissue (pack of 4)
Priority online is being given to those aged over 70 with a Sparks card so that M&S can identify their age.
