Following the invasion of Ukraine, The Country Food Trust launched a dedicated Ukraine appeal to raise funds and send meals to those in need. Their nutritional pouches were perfect for the conditions being experienced in the crisis as they need no refrigeration and can be eaten either cold or, if heated amongst other ways as rudimentary as a pot of river water over an open fire. The Country food Trust also successfully completed a bespoke run that included pasta to provide a comprehensive, complete meal. The campaign raised enough funds to provide 25,200 Venison ragu and pasta meals.

The pallets were shipped into Ukraine directly as part of #OpManna22 as the site of departure was in fact the same location used for Operation Manna in 1945, which was a humanitarian aid drop of vital supplies into Holland during their occupation. The Country Food Trust are proud to continue to be an agile trust, enable such campaigns to succeed. The Trust are incredibly grateful for the support of the trustees, the generosity of our supporters and their network of partners has made this possible.

The Country Food Trust Chief Executive, SJ Hunt, says of the mission; ‘We are humbled that due to our fabulous supporters, we have been able to fundraise specifically for Ukraine. This appeal has led us to provide 25,200 venison ragu meals in ambient packaging, transported directly into Ukraine, right at the heart of where there is great need. By providing protein rich meals containing British wild venison, we hope that some of the dreadful hunger we have all been watching is eased.’

For more information about The Country Food Trust, see https://www.thecountryfoodtrust.org