McCreath Simpson and Prentice donate 400 food pouches to Berwick Food Bank for Christmas

The pouches were supplied to MSP on behalf of The Country Food Trust, a charity which takes meat donated by estates and farms and makes them into meals to be distributed to food banks and people in need.

MSP is one of the UK's leading agricultural merchants offering a range of farm inputs including seed, feed and fertiliser.

Last winter, they pledged £5,000 to the charity’s annual winter appeal and The Country Food Trust arranged for a pallet containing 1,200 pouches of Venison Bolognese to be dropped off at the MSP headquarters in Berwick, for the company to deliver to food banks in the local area.

The first drop-off was Berwick Community Trust Food Bank in the town centre, with 400 pouches dropped off for the organisation to include in their Christmas Boxes, and further donations have been made to food banks in Eyemouth, Coldstream and Wooler.

Speaking about the donation, Becci Murray, operations director at Berwick Community Trust, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to both McCreath Simpson and Prentice and The Country Food Trust for arranging the delivery of the food pouches to us here at the Berwick Community Trust Food Bank.

“We’ve had some of these pouches before and they’ve been well received, as they have good quality ingredients and are easy to manage in that recipients don’t need to use an oven – the pouches can just be put in the microwave.

“The delivery is also significant as it allows us to use cash donations that we get to continue to purchase fresh items.”

SJ Hunt, chief executive of The Country Food Trust, added: “This incredibly generous donation from MSP will bolster our efforts to extend our reach and impact across the winter months, providing vital support to numerous individuals and families who are confronting the challenges of food insecurity.

“This generosity will make a tangible difference in our mission to alleviate hunger and nourish communities in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.”