ACTION AGAINST HUNGER HOPING FOR RECORD SUPPORT FOR THIS YEAR’S ‘LOVE FOOD GIVE FOOD’ CAMPAIGN

• The charity is hoping to involve more than 500 restaurants and raise more than £550,000 - enough money to provide lifesaving treatment to more than 13,000 children facing life-threatening hunger.
• This year’s campaign is being supported a number of high profile chefs and restaurants including Nieves Barragan Mohacho, Chef Director at Michelin starred Sabor and The 2018 London Restaurant Awards Chef of the Year

Action Against Hunger’s flagship Love Food Give Food campaign has been running for 10 years and, thanks to the generosity of the restaurant industry, has raised more than £3 million to date.

The recent UN State of Food Security report has shown that global hunger levels have risen for a third consecutive year. Today more than a quarter of the world’s population -2 billion people- don’t have enough food to eat. That is why, as the world leading charity in the fight against hunger, the organisation is hoping that this year will see a record number of restaurants joining the fight against hunger.

Jean-Michel Grand, Executive Director of Action Against Hunger UK said “We hope that this year will see a record number of restaurants join us in our fight against hunger. It doesn’t cost a penny to take part, customers love it, and their support will not only change lives, but save them.”

“Even today, one of the biggest killers of young children remains hunger. Almost half of all deaths of children under 5 is as a direct result of malnutrition. This is a devastating statistic, particularly when you realise that it costs just £1 to provide a day’s worth of life-saving, therapeutic food.”

The premise of the campaign is simple: restaurants add an optional £1 to the bill or donate a percentage of the proceeds of a menu item. The money raised goes towards fighting hunger around the world. Last year, Action Against Hunger estimate that more than 2 million customers and 8000 staff interacted with the campaign.

Some of the restaurants already signed up to support the campaign include: Hawksmoor, Hakkasan, Pho, Caravan, JKS Group, Sabor, The River Café, Tredwells, Spring at Somerset House, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Aubaine, Rosa’s Thai, Shoryu, Jun Tanaka’s The Ninth, Chiltern Firehouse, Smoking Goat, Kiln.

Supporting this year’s campaign is Nieves Barragan Mohacho, Chef Director at Michelin starred Sabor and the 2018 London Restaurant Awards Chef of the Year.

Nieves recently travelled to Bangladesh with Action Against Hunger to see, first-hand, the impact that the industry’s support is making for families fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

Speaking on her return, Nieves said: “Visiting Bangladesh really brought home how lucky we are to live in the UK and why it is so important that we get behind campaigns like Love Food Give Food.

“For me, food is everything. It is family, it is friendship, it is joy. But for far too many people food is a source of anxiety and fear. They don’t know where the next meal is coming from or whether their child will go to bed hungry.

“I witnessed, first-hand, the incredible work that Action Against Hunger is undertaking and the hope it is bringing to so many people. Joining this campaign is a small thing that we can do, but the impact is massive.

“I’ve worked with Action Against Hunger for five years and I love what they are doing. I already know that I will continue to support this organisation for years to come.”

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For more information about the Love Food Give Food campaign or Love Food Streat Fest event, please contact Anthony Gale at: a.gale@actionagainsthunger.org.uk or call: +44 (0) 7534 903 812