King's food poverty push on working 76th birthday

KING Charles treated his 76th birthday like any other day as he highlighted the work of his food charity yesterday.

- Emily Ferguson

The workaholic monarch opened two distribution hubs for tons of surplus groceries and met staff, volunteers and backers.

Light relief was provided by pupils from Rye Oak Primary School in Peckham, London, who serenaded the King with Happy Birthday.

They helped him try meals, including macaroni cheese and cottage pie.

He seemed touched when a six-yearold called Zariah presented him with a large birthday card made from photos in the shape of 76.

Crisis

The King launched his Coronation Food Project (CFP) exactly a year earlier to reduce waste and help people hit by the cost-of-living crisis.

So far it has turned surplus food donated by Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Greencore and other firms into more than two million meals.