Mince pies make a difference: Help Sainsbury's donate over five million meals to families experiencing food poverty

During the whole month of December, every penny from each pack of the by Sainsbury’s and Free from classic mince pies sold will be donated to Comic Relief.

This is part of Sainsbury’s commitment to donating over five million meals to families who are experiencing food poverty this winter and its mission to make good food accessible for all.

Customers can support by purchasing selected festive products, making a donation in store or online, or donating points through the Nectar app

A spokesperson said: "This Christmas, Sainsbury's is donating over five million meals to families experiencing food poverty through its partnership with Comic Relief and wants customers to show their support simply by purchasing a pack of mince pies during their festive shop.

"Throughout December, every penny from each pack of the by Sainsbury's and Free from classic mince pies sold will be donated to Comic Relief to help Sainsbury’s donate over 5 million meals. 

"We at Sainsbury's expect to see over one million of these mince pie packs flying off the shelves over the month, and for the first time, every sale will be supporting those families who are experiencing food poverty this winter. When shopping in store or online, customers can feel good knowing that picking up one of these festive treats will help to spread a little bit of Christmas magic."

Alongside purchasing mince pies, customers will be encouraged to get involved by donating to Comic Relief in a variety of different ways. Customers can make a difference by donating what they can at tills or online, rounding up their shop, or donating their points via the Nectar app. Customers can also directly support their local community groups by giving grocery items at the donation points at the front of Sainsbury's stores.

Ruth Cranston, Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Sainsbury’s added: “While for many, Christmas is a magical time filled with presents and food, we know for those experiencing food poverty, this can be the hardest time of year, instead.

"Giving is at the heart of Christmas for our customers, and that’s why we’re committed to working together with them and Comic Relief to help donate over five million meals and help make good food accessible for all. 

"With mince pies as an all-time British festive favourite, customers will be able to enjoy them even more this year knowing their festive treat is helping to make a real difference to those experiencing food poverty.”

Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief said: "For millions of families who are already facing impossible choices to get by, the cold winter months ahead bring fear and worry during a cost-of-living crisis. As we head into the toughest months of the year, addressing food poverty is now more urgent than ever. We’re extremely grateful to Sainsbury’s and its customers for their ongoing support in helping to provide essential food to those in greatest need this Christmas through the Nourish the Nation programme.”

Alongside this, from today until December 31st, for every purchase of a festive sandwich, 10p will be donated to Comic Relief. And until 24th December, Sainsbury's will also donate an extra £200,000 from the profits of its popular Nourish the Nation Christmas gifts and decorations supporting Comic Relief.

All donations will be directed to food redistribution charity FareShare, as well as organisations who are helping families experiencing food poverty get improved access to nutritious and balanced food. These organisations offer vital support whilst also helping to tackle food waste across the UK.

Through Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief’s Nourish the Nation programme, Sainsbury’s support will help to provide over five million meals to families experiencing food poverty this winter. This follows Sainsbury’s recent £2.7 million donation which is helping to provide over one million meals to support children experiencing food poverty during the school holidays.

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk

www.comicrelief.com

Six-person roast for under £20 announced as 44% of Brits avoid hosting Christmas due to cost concerns

Brits are reportedly avoiding the responsibility of hosting Christmas Day this year, using extravagant excuses with having a broken oven (22%) and wanting to spend Christmas alone (21%) cited as some of the top explanations.

As 42% would be more likely to host Christmas if it cost less, Sainsbury’s recently announced a festive roast that feeds six for under £20 with Nectar, its lowest ever cost.

TV Personality, roast dinner devotee, and well-known bargain lover Tom Skinner, has shared how he’ll be hosting a festive roast for his family this year, and saving money at the same time.

Brits are dodging serving Christmas dinner this year, as 44% of the nation say they have been put off the idea of hosting family and friends due how much they think it could cost them.

Of those not volunteering to host their families this year, over a third (36%) have admitted they are proactively avoiding the duties, and 26% have come up with extravagant excuses such as claiming their oven is broken (22%), wanting to spend Christmas alone (21%) and not having enough chairs (19%)². 13% have even blamed it on their dog not liking guests, whilst almost a fifth (17%) have admitted leaving the family WhatsApp group to dodge the discussion altogether.

As 42% would be more likely to host Christmas if it cost less, Sainsbury’s recently announced the return of its price-busting festive roast at its lowest ever cost. Savvy shoppers can get all the ingredients they need to sort out their Christmas day meal and dessert that feeds six for under 20 Quid at Sainsbury’s with Nectar. At just £3.24 per person, it subverts Brits’ expectations that feeding six at Christmas needs to cost an average total of £84, making it available for less than a quarter of that price.

The research also revealed, instead of hosting duties, many want to ensure they have money left to treat themselves to other things this year, including going out for a meal with friends and family over the festive period (36%), booking a holiday for the New Year (27%) a shopping trip (22%), and self-care (21%). 

Yet at a lower cost per head than a day of London bus fares, or a fancy coffee, even the most apprehensive about the price of hosting Christmas can serve up a feast for six people for under £20, thanks to Sainsbury’s. That means there’s change left to spend on everything else Brits would rather splurge their festive pay checks on.

The roast features fresh turkey,plus other items deemed the top essentials of the traditional Christmas dinner, like potatoes (79%), gravy (75%), stuffing (69%) and pigs in blankets (63%). Meanwhile, other festive staples like parsnips, carrots and brussels sprouts which all cost a mere 19p per pack, will be included as part of the roast, topped off with a fruit sherry trifle to further delight guests at the end of the meal.

Limited knowledge of how to cater for vegetarians is cited as another reason the nation is dodging hosting (28%). In fact, almost a fifth (18%) claim they’ve previously just served up a bowl of vegetables when hosting because they don’t know what to make. 

Luckily, Sainsburys’ great value roast offering also includes a veggie option that feeds six for under £17. At £2.77 per person, it sees the Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers Meat Free Wellington replacing the turkey, along with a veggie gravy and Plant Pioneers Pups in Blankets.

TV personality, MasterChef contestant and roast fanatic Tom Skinner discusses the struggles to serve up a high-quality meal at Christmas for the family without worrying about the price tag.

He said: “It’s no surprise I’m a fan of a roast dinner, so naturally Christmas is my favourite time of year. The big day in the Skinner household is always full of food, and I’m all set for another year of hosting. who'd have thought I could serve a banging two-course roast for under £3.50 per person and have enough for leftovers, with the Sainsbury’s Feed six for less than £20 roast? If that’s not the most wonderful time of year, I don’t know what is – BOSH!”

Rhian Bartlett, Food Commercial Director at Sainsbury’s said: “We know our customers want to enjoy Christmas and celebrate with friends and family, whilst also treating themselves, too. At Sainsbury’s we’ve worked hard to ensure Christmas dinner doesn’t have to break the bank and our festive roast has everything needed to serve up a delicious meal for loved ones. By investing in lower prices, we’re proud to be able to offer a full Christmas roast for six people, that costs less than £3.50 per person with Nectar Prices.”

In addition to exceptionally low prices, all proceeds from the Sainsbury’s festive vegetables included in the roast will be donated to the Nourish the Nation programme in partnership with Comic Relief. By ensuring communities have improved access to balanced, nutritional, and sustainable food sources, the Nourish the Nation programme helps face food poverty by supporting those most in need, whilst also supporting those at risk in the longer term.

To take advantage of these great prices between 19th and 24th December, customers should scan their Nectar app or swipe their Nectar card at the till in store to save. Those shopping online will have their discounts applied automatically if their Nectar and Sainsbury’s accounts are linked for orders delivered between 20th – 24th December.

Those who don’t have a Nectar card can sign up to Nectar Prices by joining Nectar online at https://www.nectar.com, on the Nectar app, or by picking up a Nectar card in store. In fact, my wife and I did that only a week ago and already the savings we have made have been mounting up.

The full Festive offering is as follows:

Sainsbury’s festive roast for less than £20 includes:

by Sainsbury’s Standard Small Turkey, £3.75 per kg

by Sainsbury’s White Potatoes 2kg, 15p

by Sainsbury’s Brussel Sprouts 500g, 19p (x 2 required)

by Sainsbury’s Carrots 1kg, 19p

by Sainsbury’s Parsnips 500g, 19p

by Sainsbury’s Gravy Granules for Meat 170g, 60p

by Sainsbury’s Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix 85g, 40p

by Sainsbury’s Pigs in Blankets x12 260g, £2.50

by Sainsbury’s Fruit Sherry Trifle 900g, £4.50

Sainsbury’s vegetarian festive roast for less than £17includes:

Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers Meat Free Wellington 500g, £3.40 (x 2 required, frozen)

by Sainsbury’s Carrots 1kg, 19p

by Sainsbury’s Parsnips 500g, 19p

by Sainsbury’s Brussel Sprouts 500g, 19p (x 2 required)

by Sainsbury’s White Potatoes 2kg, 15p

by Sainsbury’s vegetable gravy granules 170g, 60p

Plant Pioneers Pups in Blankets 241g, £3.40

by Sainsbury’s Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix 170g, 40p

by Sainsbury’s Fruit Sherry Trifle 900g, £4.50

Selected Sainsbury’s seasonal vegetables available for 19p or less with Nectar Prices (with all proceeds donated to the Nourish the Nation programme in partnership with Comic Relief):

by Sainsbury’s White Potatoes 2kg, 15p

by Sainsbury’s Brussel Sprouts 500g, 19p

by Sainsbury’s Carrots 1kg, 19p

by Sainsbury’s Parsnips 500g, 19p

by Sainsbury’s Red Cabbage, 19p

by Sainsbury’s White Cabbage, 19p

by Sainsbury’s Swede, 19p

Seasonal vegetables available on Nectar prices from 18th December- 24th December.

New Fever-Tree Cocktail Shaker: The Perfect Last Minute Christmas Gift!

Seeking out a last-minute Christmas gift for the drinks lovers in your life? Fever-Tree's new Cocktail Shaker looks fab and makes the perfect cocktail every time.

You could pick one up on the way to your next dinner party as a gift for the host or as a Secret Santa present? Available now at Waitrose with an introductory deal of £12 and Sainsbury's for £15. 

Pair the shaker with Fever-Tree's cocktail mixers, available in Espresso Martini, Margarita and Mojito, just add the alcohol to the mixer, shake and pour: 

Fill your Fever-Tree cocktail shaker half full of ice. 

Add 100ml of Fever-Tree cocktail mixer and 50ml spirit.  

Shake for 15 seconds and pour into your glass! 

Why the Fever-Tree Cocktail Shaker?

Style AND function: when creating drinks, Fever-Tree know their stuff,the screw cap mechanism makes the shaker easy to open and prevents the lid getting stuck. It's double walled, to prevent condensation and stop your hands getting cold, and there's even an integrated strainer so it's easier to pour, too!

Effortless Mixing: Turn anyone into a cocktail pro with just a few shakes. 

Stylish Design: Sleek and modern, it's a showstopper for any home bar. 

Compact and Portable: Ideal for those who love to mix drinks wherever they go. 

Want to know which UK supermarket has the cheapest vegan Christmas dinner? Adventrum has the answer for you

The festive season is very much upon us, and the most prepared Brits out there will have already started planning for the big day and everything that comes with it, from the presents to the parties, and most importantly, the Christmas dinner.

With so many components to put together, it can be hard to know where the best one-stop shop is to get all your Christmas dinner ingredients. Particularly, if you are vegetarian, or are catering for a vegetarian.

While cutting expensive meat items such as pigs and blankets and a turkey crown can certainly help to cut costs, there remains a need to plan a budget, and sometimes it's less obvious how much veggie-friendly supplements will cost.

Thankfully, Adventrum has crunched the numbers and costed up the price of a veggie-friendly Christmas dinner at six of the UK’s top supermarkets. 

1. Aldi - £28.20

2. Tesco - £32.84

3. Asda - £33.22

4. Morrisons - £33.71

5. Sainsbury’s - £34.60

6. Waitrose - £53.24

There’s probably no surprise that Aldi comes in as the cheapest supermarket for a vegetarian Christmas dinner, with the total cost of the full meal being a mere £28.20. The cheapest vegetarian Christmas dinner component at Aldi is the 15-pack of Yorkshire Puddings priced at only £0.46.

In second place is Tesco, where a full vegetarian Christmas dinner came in at £32.84. For chocolate lovers, Tesco is the cheapest supermarket to pick up a Cadbury’s selection box, as they cost £1.50 with a Clubcard membership.

Not far behind in third place is Asda, where a full vegetarian Christmas dinner costs approximately £33.22. However, the Quorn Vegetarian Roast was cheaper at Asda than any other supermarket at just £3.00.

Morrisons placed fourth with a full cost of £33.71. However, this supermarket had one of the most expensive turkey crowns (£31.47), meaning the biggest savings are on offer for meat-eaters switching to the vegetarian option this Christmas.

Sainsbury’s placed fifth, as a vegetarian Christmas dinner from this supermarket was found to cost an estimated £34.60. 

Finally, Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket by some distance at £53.24. A big factor in Waitrose being so much more expensive was the vegetarian turkey supplement costing a massive £16.00. But it must be said that one surprise bargain to be found is that Maris Piper potatoes are 5p cheaper at Waitrose (£1.65) than they are at Aldi (£1.70).

The study used a Quorn Vegetarian Roast as the turkey supplement at Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. For Aldi and Waitrose, the home-brand products that most closely resembled the Quorn Vegetarian Roast were used, as the Quorn product was unavailable. 

That's Christmas would like to thank Adventrum for sharing their research data with us. You can check out Adventrum at https://adventrum.com. 

(Image courtesy of MM from Pixabay)

 

'Tis the time for seasonal recruitment: 22,000 jobs now available at Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s is creating 22,000 extra seasonal roles nationwide, including 2,000 at Argos, to help deliver an exceptional Christmas for customers this year. 

With stores and warehouses beginning to prepare themselves for the festive season, Sainsbury’s will welcome temporary colleagues earlier than usual this year, starting as early as this week. 

This will ensure there are plenty of colleagues ready to help and serve customers, whether they like to plan ahead or leave their Christmas shopping to the very last minute. (My wife likes to do that!)

New colleagues will support Sainsbury’s and Argos in serving customers, restocking shelves and fulfilling online orders by picking, packing and delivering. In their depots and fulfilment centres, colleagues will work in warehouses, ensuring products reach homes and stores nationally and are ready for customers to enjoy.

To further support and reward colleagues with festive season expenses, Sainsbury’s has improved its 10% colleague discount offer, increasing it to 15% at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday plus 15% off at Argos every payday Friday. Moreover, temporary colleagues can now receive a second discount card for a family member or friend at the same address and free food during shifts.

Prerana Issar, Chief People Officer at Sainsbury’s, said “⁠With Christmas just round the corner, we're gearing up to serve our customers brilliantly this festive season. This is the busiest time in the retail calendar, and we are looking for people with a passion for good food who can thrive in a fast-paced environment and are committed to providing brilliant customer service. 

This is a perfect opportunity to kickstart a career with Sainsbury's, and we can't wait to welcome new and returning faces this Christmas.”

Temporary colleagues will be employed on fixed-term contracts ranging from three to 12 weeks. To join the Sainsbury’s or Argos team this Christmas, visit sainsburys.jobs/christmas/ or your nearby store for more information. 

Incidentally, Sainsbury’s pays its colleagues above the National Living Wage. Temporary colleagues can expect pay rates of:

In-store Jobs: £11 – £11.95 p/h

Fulfilment Warehouse Jobs: £11 – £11.95/hr

Driver Jobs: £12 – £13.45/hr

Temporary colleagues will have access to these benefits after just four weeks of service

Varies by location, please check.

Christmas at Sainsbury's

This year you must make Sainsbury's a part of your Christmas plans. Whatever you are looking for, from the Turkey to a vegetarian feast, from Mince Pies to a Christmas cake, from pork pies to fresh vegetables, from big presents to stocking fillers with the “ahhh” factor, from real ales to fine wines, from cream cheese to best quality Stilton and more besides, you'll find them all at your nearest Sainsbury's store.

Why is this the case? Because all year round expert buyers from Sainbury's head office are constantly searching the world for the best of the best to ensure that you can provide your family with the best of the best, too!

And you will find that no matter which part of the United Kingdom you are in; England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you will find that the store employs highly trained staff who can offer you advice on the best cuts of meat, depending on several factors, such as what you need it for, what your budget is, and so forth, which wines or beers go best with what foods, and so forth.

You will also find Christmas cards, Christmas crackers, decorations, new kitchenware, new cutlery, new dinner services and more besides.

Pop into your nearest Sainsbury's store to find out how you can have a very Merry Christmas at prices that will be a good deal keener than you might think!

Or visit them at www.sainsburys.co.uk