Posted:
Wednesday - April 27, 2022
2:36 pm
Swedish electric car brand Polestar recently opened its new retail Space at the Touchwood Centre, Solihull by hosting a launch event with a sustainable twist. Guests, including members of the media, were asked to bring a tote bag of non-perishable food, which was then matched by Polestar and donated to FareShare Midlands.They were then served a restaurant-style dinner created from surplus ingredients, using food gathered at the FareShare Midlands depot in Nechells. The menu featured a dish developed by Michelin-starred chef and Solihull native Glynn Purnell, in collaboration with the team at ChangeKitchen.
Founded by Birgit Kehrer, ChangeKitchen feeds people in need across Birmingham, cooking up nutritious meals from surplus food received from charities such as FareShare Midlands – as well as catering private and corporate events with delicious vegetarian and vegan food.
Polestar is already a committed supporter of FareShare, having partnered with FareShare Manchester at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic by donating 10,000 meals to communities in the North West.
“FareShare does an incredible job all around the country, including here in the Midlands” said Graeme Lambert, Head of PR and Communications at Polestar UK. “FareShare’s mission to fight hunger while tackling food waste closely aligns with Polestar’s values, to improve the society we live in sustainably”. In addition to the food donated by the launch guests, Polestar made an extra financial donation, which means a further 10,000 meals will now be redistributed to local community organisations across the Midlands. In addition, Polestar is planning to enable staff to participate in a group volunteering scheme at FareShare Midlands depots.
Among the guests at the Solihull launch event were representatives from FareShare Midlands, as well as various guests from print, online and radio. The result was a fantastic evening showcasing how incredible cuisine can be created from the most modest of ingredients, followed by an excellent after-dinner Q&A session with Birgit and Glynn.
The next day, the staff of FareShare Midlands Nechells warehouse were treated to a visit by two Polestar 2 vehicles as they delivered the tote bags of food donations.
Last year, FareShare Midlands redistributed 6,686 tonnes of foo
d, helping over 550 frontline groups to provide 16m meals every year. We saved these groups £2.5m on food (so they could spend it elsewhere), and on average our food reaches 60,000 people each week. In addition, FareShare Midlands is building on its overall mission to fight hunger and tackle food waste, by creating opportunities through their employability programmes. With an ambition by 2024 to support 400 people into vocational training, placements or paid work. To find out more, visit the website.
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