Caledonian Sleeper is supporting City Harvest, a London based food charity aiming to help people facing food poverty across London and reduce food waste.

Extra meals that are cooked on the southbound Caledonian Sleeper will be donated to the charity. The food will be distributed between food banks, shelters, and community groups to ensure the food is accessible to those who need it.

Alongside helping those in need, City Harvest aims to reduce the impact food waste has on the environment. By donating extra food, the Caledonian Sleeper has saved 15.8 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in four months.

The UK food industry produces 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from the 9.5 million tonnes of food waste.

A community charity in Clerkenwell called The Peel already regularly receives donations from the Sleepers.

Employees who work on the Caledonian Sleeper have also been volunteering at the charities warehouse to help with the distribution of food.

“We receive meals from Caledonian Sleeper once a week and the feedback has been great. Some members of the community drop in just to collect the meals and rely on them due to the rise in cost of living. The meals have been really popular with our Adult Members group – because they’re pre-made meals you can easily reheat them – and it guarantees them to have at least one nutritious meal that day. The food we receive is supporting between 45-50 households per week and it’s fantastic to divert this from landfill to support those who are in need.”

Scarlett Gregory, Community Engagement and Partnerships Lead

“Working with companies such as Caledonian Sleeper, that are dedicated to reducing waste and making social impact is always a dream. Our latest People Report shows stark effects of food poverty on physical and mental health, now affecting one in four. The Caledonian Sleeper team is dedicated to ensuring no good food is wasted, working with us like clockwork to ensure it reaches those most in need.”

Goldie Leoppky, Food Sourcing Manager from City Harvest 

“At Caledonian Sleeper we want to support the communities we operate in, and we are extremely pleased to be able to help to tackle food poverty in London. We know with the current cost-of-living crisis, charities focussed on addressing hunger are vital, and by working with City Harvest, which is at the frontline of tackling this, we know we are making a real positive difference to people’s lives and the environment.

“It has been fantastic to see our employees engage with the charity, and I am looking forward to growing this relationship and continuing to support City Harvest as it provides such a vital service across the city. In addition, we’re now looking for a partner in Scotland and we’d urge you to come forward if you think you can help us divert left-over food from landfill on our north-bound service.”

David Durance, catering and operations manager of Caledonian Sleeper