Kildare business partners with charity to provide Christmas meals

A KILDARE business is assisting a local charity to put food on the table of those who need it this festive season.

The Brady Family brand has been supporting communities across Ireland through a long-term food donation partnership with FoodCloud. In 2020, Brady Family began generously donating additional non-surplus cooked ham and turkey joints, to enable charities to serve festive meals to their communities who might otherwise go without.

One of those charities is Main Street Food bank in Naas, who provide surplus food to anyone in the community that needs it. Operating since 2012 from The Church on the Main Street (formerly the Dara Cinema) to over fifty families and individuals.

"Thanks to FoodCloud’s surplus food deliveries, we can ensure that everyone in our community, no matter their circumstance, has access to essential, nutritious food. Their support strengthens our mission to serve with compassion and inclusivity,” said Esther McCarthy, co-founder of Main Street Food Bank.

With the cost of living rising and the pressure that people face around Christmas, which has been reflected by charities such as SVP who saw 248,032, calls for help in 2024, noting calls started as early as October. Centrepiece meats like precooked turkey and ham joints are some of the most sought-after items by the charities and community groups.

Each Christmas, Brady Family now donates an additional 5,000 meals worth of premium, non-surplus precooked ham and turkey joints to FoodCloud, which in turn distributes them to charities delivering Christmas meals. The products are donated complete with reheating instructions for oven, microwave and airfryer, making the products accessible to Foodcloud’s community partners.

"At Brady Family, we believe everyone should have access to good food at Christmas," said John O'Brien, the managing director of O'Brien Fine Foods.