PrimaDeli will
always have the unique distinction of being the first company to
join in Food from the Heart’s efforts. The award-winning bakery
franchise is managed by Prima Food Pte Ltd, which is itself a subsidiary
of SGX-listed Prima Limited. And the bakery’s outlets are
well-known for their delicious range of freshly-baked pastries,
buns and breads and premium cakes.
The bakery was approached by
FFTH’s founder, Ms Christine Laimer, to contribute to the
organisation’s efforts. And the company felt it was appropriate
to do so, as it was along the lines of the company’s direction
too.
“Prima Food has always
welcomed the idea of contributing to the community,” says
Alicia Tan, marketing manager, Prima Limited. “Therefore when
approached by Food from the Heart, we felt that this was a good
avenue to contribute to charity by donating our unsold items.”
Perhaps it’s apt that
the first bakery to get involved with FFTH’s efforts also
happens to be Singapore’s first homegrown bakery franchise.
Launched in 1992, PrimaDeli currently has over 40 bakeries conveniently
located in major residential estates, commercial districts and shopping
areas. The chain also has 8 outlets in Malaysia.
Currently, the bakery franchise
makes specific contributions to FFTH: “The PrimaDeli chain
of bakeries contributes most of the unsold items at the end of each
day,” explains Ms Tan. “These include buns, pastries,
cakes and bread. However, as food safety is paramount, we only donate
selected items.”
Being the first bakery to get involved with FFTH’s drive,
PrimaDeli has noticed several changes in FFTH’s efforts and
effect in the months of its support.
“Food from the Heart
has been more widely supported by volunteers, leading to smoother
co-ordination with our participating outlets,” says Ms Tan.
“Volunteers are also better briefed and efficient, leading
to very fast transfers and transaction times.”
With more bakeries getting
onto the FFTH bandwagon, the organisation’s efforts have become
more recognised over the past few months. And Ms Tan has this advice
to any company who’s thinking of getting involved with FFTH:
“We are happy to see that Food from the Heart has many supporters
and volunteers. We had initial reservations about food safety, but
managed to work closely with Food from the Heart to address some
of the operational issues without compromising food safety standards.”
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