Member Article

Leeds Business Offers A Touch Of Magic For Hungry Schoolchildren

Witnessing hungry friends arriving at school some 40 years ago has led Leeds-based businesswoman Sara Micklethwaite to unlock a touch of magic for the new academic year.

Inspired by what she saw at school, Sara, who runs artisan-style bakery Bagel Nash with husband Andy, has been committed to support the Magic Breakfast* charity for nearly 10 years, by supplying special recipe Magic Bagels to schools. This month (September), Bagel Nash will further its support of the charity, dedicated to feeding children too hungry to learn, through an exclusive retail deal. It is the first time the special recipe bagels have been on sale to the public.

Five pence from every four-pack sold through 106 Iceland owned Food Warehouse stores will be donated to Magic Breakfast. Sara and Andy’s aim is to raise £50,000.

According to the charity, as many as 300,000 UK children a day have the opportunity to eat the unique Magic Bagels for breakfast at school. A recent survey of Magic Breakfast partner schools showed 70% of them believe child hunger, generally, has increased in their school community in the past year.

Said Sara, who grew up in Hull: “Watching friends arriving at school hungry all those years ago really made an impact on me and to think this is still an issue today makes me want to help. As many as 1.8 million school age children in the UK are at risk of hunger in the morning – and a hungry child cannot concentrate. As the new school year gathers pace, we’re delighted to be supporting a charity that has been close to our hearts for nearly a decade.

“For 30p, Magic Breakfast can give a child a healthy breakfast and wrap-around support at school. To understand the impact of what the charity is doing, you only have to speak to teachers and parents.

“Our special recipe Magic Bagels are made with a mix of wholemeal and white flour and are vitamin D-enhanced. They are provided as part of a healthy breakfast which comprises porridge, cereals (low sugar and low salt) and unsweetened fruit juice.”

Richard Walker, md of Food Warehouse said: “We understand that providing children with the correct nutrients and sustenance every day is essential, and Magic Bagels offer parents this peace of mind.

“The success of the bagels in schools has been phenomenal and we were keen to make them more widely available to our customers. The five pence donation from every pack sold will hugely benefit school breakfast clubs up and down the country, helping to deliver much needed food to children at an important time of the day.”

Bagel Nash opened its first store in Moortown, Leeds in 1987. It has its own wholesale bagel factory and now supplies retailers and food service operators around the world.

*Magic Breakfast is a registered charity aiming to end hunger as a barrier to education in UK schools through the provision of healthy breakfasts to vulnerable children. Charity number 1102510 in England and SC048202 in Scotland.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by AKA PR .