We are a nation that loves food. For many of us, it's deeply rooted in our most joyful memories - our celebrations, our social life and how we connect with our families and friends.
But for the 14.1 million people experiencing food insecurity across the UK (Trussell, 2025), positive memories rooted in food can be hard to find. This needs to change. At Sainsbury’s we believe that everyone deserves access to the joyful memories that great-quality, nutritious food can bring.
Meals Make Memories celebrates the powerful memories food creates and to highlight what's lost when it's out of reach. The campaign is part of our work with Comic Relief which aims to tackle food poverty and ensure everyone has access to the joy, memories and connection that food brings.
Since 2022, our partnership with Comic Relief has delivered 59 million meals, through over £23 million of funding, to families who need it most. The food-focused programme is built on our shared vision of a future where everyone has access to the joy of good food, every mealtime, empowering people to become more food secure.
A Recipe For…
As part of our Meals Make Memories campaign, Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief have launched A Recipe For…, a new vodcast that celebrates the powerful memories food creates and opens a conversation about the reality for millions of people experiencing food poverty, and the impact felt when food is hard to access.
Hosted by broadcaster Si King, every episode features a cherished recipe from well-known guests and everyday changemakers, each sharing stories that show how food connects us and what’s lost when it’s out of reach for those facing food poverty.
Making food memories joyful for everyone
Research commissioned by Sainsbury’s found that 72% of people say that food is an important part of their memories, with moments of connection with family and friends (43%) and positive memories of childhood (37%) being the ones most closely associated with food. But for many people experiencing food poverty providing meals for family can result in “stress”, especially during periods like the summer holidays, as they struggle to balance childcare, food and activities against cost-of-living pressures.
To make sure that families can make more joyful memories and have access to the food they need to thrive during the school holidays, Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief teamed up to fund over 100,000 holiday club places in the UK this summer, through a donation from the retailer of £1.8m, providing children with free, healthy meals and access to memory-making activities such as cooking, music lessons and sports.
12 Recipes of Christmas
Christmas is all about cooking, eating and spending time together and for over half of Britons, it's the main time they get together with their family in the kitchen to prepare festive favourites from years gone by. But for over 14 million people in the UK experiencing food insecurity (Trusell, 2025), those festive moments aren’t always possible.
That’s why as part of it's Meals Make Memories campaign, Sainsbury’s has teamed up with six amazing community heroes who are fighting food poverty every day to share 12 festive recipes and their favourite food memories to spark inspiration in kitchens across the country over Christmas. Behind these stories are organisations like FareShare and City Harvest, who in partnership with Sainsbury's are working hard to get food to those who need it most through the festive season and beyond.
The support doesn’t stop there. This Christmas, in partnership with Comic Relief, we’re proud to donate over five million meals to families who need a little extra help. And you can play a part too, with every penny* from our by Sainsbury’s and Free From classic mince pies sold in December going straight to Comic Relief, helping those experiencing food poverty.
We’re passionate about addressing the challenge of food poverty to support us in delivering a resilient food system that provides good, nutritious food for everyone and for generations to come.
It’s why, in 2022, we launched our Nourish the Nation programme with Comic Relief. The food-focused programme is built on our shared vision of a future where everyone has access to the joy of good food, every mealtime, empowering people to become more food secure. Our programme with Comic Relief complements our broader work to ensure everyone can access good food, every day, which also includes working with partners to donate surplus food to those who need it most, a new partnership with the Department of Education to support healthy breakfast provision in early-adopter schools, and our fantastic group of in-store Community Champions who build relationships and drive impact in the local area.
No child should go to school hungry, but we know that many are arriving at school without having had a healthy, balanced breakfast to help fuel their day.
That’s why are proud to be partnering with the Department for Education on their Breakfast Club Programme, building on our legacy of ensuring everyone can have access to healthy, affordable and nutritious food, every day.
Our support sees us donating £200 gift cards to the 750 free breakfast club early adopter schools to deliver healthy, nutritious meals to school children, with 180,000 expected to benefit from the support.
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As part of our Meals Make Memories campaign, Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief have launched A Recipe For…, a new vodcast that celebrates the powerful memories food creates and opens a conversation about the reality for millions of people experiencing food poverty, and the impact felt when food is hard to access.
From Bangers and Mash to Shakshuka, there’s something for everyone in ‘A Recipe For…’. We are making each recipe from the series available via our groceries website so you can make your own version of these cherished favourites to spark joyful memories of your own with loved ones or your wider community.
In the final festive instalment of A Recipe For…, Strictly Come Dancing Head Judge Shirley Ballas joins host Si King for a heartfelt celebration of family, memory, and the power of good food to bring us together - reminding us why festive traditions matter and why ensuring every child can access a warm, nutritious meal makes a lasting difference.