Supermarket giant, Morrisons has announced that £10 million of dedicated stock is to be set aside in every store for local food banks.

Bakeries and other food making sites are to run for an extra hour every day to help meet demand and purchase limits on products are to be raised to allow for more donations.

Morrisons Bude is helping to restock its local food banks during the Coronavirus outbreak thanks to additional deliveries of extra food, produced by Morrisons food making sites and distributing more food from its store.

As the UK’s largest fresh food maker, Morrisons will be running its bakery, egg and fruit and veg packing site for an extra hour every day to make, prepare and pack food required to restock the food banks.

Morrisons will also be sending deliveries of ambient food — such as canned goods and pasta — to Morrisons Bude to also give to their local food bank.

The food donated to the store will be distributed to food banks by the Morrisons Bude community champion, Nichola Wickenden, who works with the local community.

Typical items being donated include bread, eggs, orange juice and bags of pasta.

Local food banks, a critical source of food for the most vulnerable in communities, are suffering badly during the current crisis, as donations have dried up rapidly over the last two weeks and demand has increased.

In addition, to make it easier for customers to donate to food banks in store, purchase limits on items will be raised to four items (from three) and some removed altogether.

Morrisons Bude will create ‘local’ drop-off points for customers to donate products to those in need and a donation hub will collect these additional products for their local food banks.

Nichola Wickenden, community champion at Morrisons Bude, said: “As a food maker and shopkeeper we are uniquely placed to help. We know food banks are finding life very difficult and running our manufacturing sites for an extra hour each day to help restock them is the right decision at this time. #It’sMoreThanOurJob.”

Bude-Stratton Town Council have also been helping Bude’s food bank and have pledged £5,000 in support.

Following a produce drop to the food bank on Thursday, April 2, mayor of Bude, Cllr Bob Willingham said: “Thanks to Morrisons supermarket for yet another couple of vans full of produce, bound for the food bank. BSTC facilities team have been helping transport the food to its destination. Thanks guys.”