Coronavirus: Morrisons to give £10m to food banks

Morrisons says it will run some production sections for an extra hour each day to stock the food banks

Supermarket chain Morrisons is to give away £10m worth of goods to food banks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The firm's chief executive David Potts said its bakery, egg, and fruit and vegetable sections would run for an extra hour daily to restock the banks.

It will also be sending deliveries of canned goods and pasta to local food banks via "community champions".

Food banks have been forced to close or cut hours because of fewer volunteers and a shortage of donations.

Mr Potts 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.

"The core purpose of all 96,537 colleagues at Morrisons is to play our full part in feeding the nation."

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The firm says many people rely on food banks as their 'only store'

The Bradford-based retailer, which typically serves more than 12 million customers every week, said it also wanted to encourage customers to make donations by lifting purchase limits to four items and removing limits on some items altogether.

The supermarket has already revamped its in-store cafes as donation hubs.

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Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Monday, Mr Potts said the store was providing the food so that local community champions could help restock the nation's food banks.

"For many people who use the food banks that's their only store," he said.

Other big chains have also donated large sums to food banks and community charities.

Last week, the Co-op said it would donate £1.5m worth of food to the UK's largest food redistribution charity, FareShare, to help boost stocks and support local communities struggling because of the coronavirus outbreak.