At FareShare Cymru, our mission is to redistribute as much surplus food as possible to people in need across Wales, whilst simultaneously reducing the amount of good-to-eat food that ends up in landfill. We accept food from all suppliers no matter the type of product or the amount of product that they have to offer. That being said, we recently visited Tovali Squash, a family-run squash business who regularly donate a portion of their product to FareShare Cymru. Located in Carmarthen, Tovali is a family run business that has been operating since 1937 and has evolved from a local soft drinks producer to a squash and cordial manufacturer that distributes across the whole of the UK. 

The squash that FareShare Cymru receives from Tovali, however, is not surplus; it’s a generous donation from the team at Tovali. Karen, the third generation of the Tovali family, spoke passionately about the importance of giving to and supporting Welsh charities. For Tovali, she felt their donation was more meaningful in the form of their product, rather than funds. She explains:  

“The reality for the world is that there is poverty out there, and I suppose one of the key things that we thought about as a business was how we gifted something, but gifted something that actually made a difference”. 

Karen explains why this is important for them as a business: “giving to FareShare is important, because albeit it’s a bottle of squash, but it’s a bottle of squash that might be something that everybody thinks that they can afford one day but for another set of consumers it’s something that’s probably a luxury”.

Karen chose to donate the squash to FareShare Cymru because our mission to support those in need across Wales aligns with her personal values and Tovali’s commitment to providing people with more than just the basics—giving them the opportunity to enjoy nicer items that people in more fortunate positions take for granted. 

“It was a no brainer to link in with yourselves, because at the end of the day, it was something that we could easily gift over. And yes, the stock that we had, it wasn’t out of date, it was perfectly fine, but it was something that we really wanted to give to yourselves”.

Interestingly, we also spoke to Karen about the importance of their factory being in the centre of Carmarthen. Not only is the quality of the water second to none in Carmarthenshire, but she also explained: “We’re the only business that manufactures now in Carmarthen so it’s important for us to stay here”. She feels it’s important for people to be aware that products are still produced locally and says it “ties into our responsibility from a climate perspective in trying to encourage more people to buy Welsh”. 

When asked about the logistics of getting their donation to FareShare Cymru Karen responded:  “Carmai made it super easy in terms of how we went about gifting over to yourselves (FareShare Cymru), and I think it was, in fairness, made easier by yourselves in terms of having the facility to come and collect”

She went on to say: “For me as a manufacturer, it didn’t cost me anything to gift it to you (FareShare Cymru), because you made it so easy”. 

Karen feels the partnership between Tovali and FareShare Cymru is worthwhile and rewarding. For other businesses thinking of working with FareShare Cymru, she says: 

“I would honestly think about what you’re giving back to your local community. I think we can all see what’s happening around us. So, for me now, (donating) has become part of one of those things that I do every quarter. It’s something that we’re proud to do”. 

The generosity of Tovali is testament to the people behind the business, and their donations are greatly appreciated by both FareShare Cymru and the charities that receive their squash. If you would like to give your surplus food or drink items or donate products to FareShare Cymru please contact our Food Sourcing Lead: carmai@fareshare.cymru.