Sainsbury's has been trialling a new drive-thru service by giving away free food at one of its stores in England. The supermarket giant has been running the offer this week (January 25-27) at its London Colney branch from 5pm to 8am.
HertsLive reports that the Flourish Fuelling Station has been offering meals from the grocer's new Flourish health range. Sainsbury's says it has carried out research that shows shift workers have the unhealthiest diets in the UK – with 79% saying unhealthy eating patterns are made worse by overnight working.
The retailer says night shift workers spend an average of £86 a month on fast food during their shifts, with a quarter (26%) admitting to eating takeaways at work three times a week. The research was conducted by Censuswide this month on 2,438 workers in the UK.
The Flourish range features over 65 products, with prices ranging from £1 to £4. Visitorshave been able to try the likes of Mexican Style Beef Chilli, Salmon with New Potatoes & Veg Medley, Italian Style Roasted Vegetable Pot and Roast Butternut Squash Risotto, while drinks included Energise Infusion Tea and an Energy Smoothie.
The Fuelling Station has been open for three nights only - Wednesday to Friday, January 25 to 27 - at the Sainsbury’s petrol station on Colney Fields Shopping Park in Hertfordshire. "If successful, Sainsbury’s may explore providing further solutions to offer hot food options during unsociable hours in the future," the company says.
Claire Hughes, director of product and innovation at Sainsbury’s, said: “It is a shame that night shift workers don't have the same access to healthy, balanced meals as those working a regular 9 to 5, particularly as these eating habits are causing them to feel tired, whilst not keeping them full.
“We hope that Sainsbury’s new Flourish range will help to address that, with the Fuelling Station offering the chance to try nutritious options for free. Flourish has been developed as a positive approach to health, created alongside chefs and nutritionists. The range is all about delicious food with healthy ingredients that support a balanced diet. We hope it makes it easier not just for shift workers, but for everyone to find solutions for convenient healthy eating.”
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