King Charles Marks Two-Year Milestone of UK Food-Waste Project

King Charles III met charity representatives and retail executives on Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of the Coronation Food Project, an initiative created in 2023 to reduce food waste and redirect surplus food to people facing hardship.

The project, launched shortly after Charles became king, connects farmers, manufacturers and major supermarkets with food-distribution charities. According to project organisers, the scheme has helped deliver the equivalent of 11 million meals across the UK since its launch.

At an event held at Fortnum & Mason in central London, the king viewed meals prepared from surplus ingredients and spoke with chefs from The Felix Project, a charity that collects unsold produce for schools, food banks and community groups.

• King Charles marks two years of the Coronation Food Project reducing UK food waste
• Initiative delivers 11 million meals by redirecting surplus food nationwide
• UK retailers and charities join forces as the project enters its next expansion phase

When he inaugurated the initiative, King Charles said the aim was to link two persistent issues — wasted food and rising need — so that “one problem helps solve the other.”

The king, who turned 77 last week and is continuing treatment following a cancer diagnosis in early 2024, used the anniversary to highlight the importance of sustaining the programme’s momentum.

Supermarkets including Tesco and Marks & Spencer have pledged support for the scheme, which promotes coordinated collection, storage and distribution of excess food that would otherwise be thrown away.

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Organisers say the next phase will focus on expanding logistics and strengthening partnerships so more surplus food reaches communities nationwide instead of ending up as waste.