Aldi launch Adult's Breakfast Club as parents skip meals to feed kids

A staggering 67 percent of parents say they are forgoing food so that their children have enough to eat, with breakfast the most commonly missed meal. Three quarters of those asked said they felt under greater financial pressure when buying food, compared with six months ago.

This has led to a third of parents buying less food now than they were 6-months ago, with some of the biggest cutbacks including key breakfast items such as butter, milk, and cereal.

To help ensure parents are getting the food they need, from today (Wednesday, March 29) they will be able to access breakfast free of charge thanks to Aldi. Ahead of the school Easter holidays, when parents are under increased pressure to feed the entire family, the supermarket chain will donate 10 tonnes of healthy cereal and 5,000 gallons of milk and milk alternatives to foodbanks, community cafés (such as the Neo Community café on the Wirral) and schools across the country, with the help of charity partner Neighbourly.

It will also be doubling down on its existing donations to local schools during term time, as almost a third (31 %) of parents surveyed said that they rely on their children being provided breakfast by their school.

An example of the donations Aldi will offer to foodbanks and schools through its Adult's Breakfast Club initiative. (Image: Aldi)

The initiative comes as many parents (37%) simply can't afford a full shop for themselves and their family, and are choosing either to skip meals, give children half of their meal or make larger portions for their children than themselves. Despite these sacrifices, parents say they are left feeling sad (32%), like a failure (25%) and tired (22%) which is made worse as over a quarter (25%) of these children complain of still being hungry after mealtimes, with no additional food to go around.

An estimated 2.1 million adults in the UK are now using foodbanks, with 16 percent of those surveyed estimating that they will have to start using them within the next six months. This is supported by findings from giving platform, Neighbourly, who surveyed a selection of charity professionals that work with some of the most vulnerable families in society on a daily basis.

Charity professionals estimate that the demand for for provision has increased by 159 percent in the last twelve months, with almost all (96%) expecting this demand to increase further in the next year.

Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK comments: "We believe that having access to healthy food should be a right, not a privilege. The thought that parents are having to skip meals to ensure their children can eat is terrible. Our partnership with Neighbourly to donate surplus food from our stores helps to support the communities where we operate, but we want to be able to help parents too. We hope the Adult Breakfast Club will help provide everyday breakfast essentials to parents who otherwise would be going without."

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, adds: "We are now seeing the real-world effects of the cost-of-living-crisis, and this is what it looks like. Parents sitting with empty, or half-empty, plates at mealtimes to ensure their children have enough food. Creating a dedicated Breakfast Club to ensure these parents are getting the nutrients they need and deserve is a brilliant initiative and one we hope will make a tangible difference in our community."

The Aldi Adult’s Breakfast Club will run from today (Wednesday, March 29) with the supermarket chain donating 10 tonnes of cereal and 5,000 gallons of milk and milk alternatives to foodbanks across the country. Customers are encouraged to add to the existing donation by heading to www.aldi.co.uk/neighbourly – just £5 will provide 30 breakfast meals.