Country Range enters partnership with The Natasha Foundation

Country Range Group (CRG) has entered into a three-year partnership with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation to help drive the delivery of its charitable objectives such as the Natasha Clinical Trial.

Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse.

The partnership will see the buying group and its members work alongside the charity to raise compassion, understanding and, crucially, vital funds to help make food allergy history.

The Natasha Clinical Trial focuses on children and young people with milk and peanut allergies in a £2.5 million oral immunotherapy trial. The study aims to plug the current Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) research gap by proving that everyday foods – instead of expensive pharmaceutical drugs – can be used as a practical treatment. If it is successful, the trial could open up potential life-changing treatments for hundreds of thousands of allergy sufferers at a fraction of the current cost for the NHS.

As well as becoming CRG’s chosen annual charity for the next three years, The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation will become an editorial partner of the buying group’s magazine, Stir it up, whilst helping to provide employee engagement across its entire workforce.

Nadim Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founder & trustee of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, will also be attending the Country Range Group’s 10th anniversary of its ‘An Evening With’ annual celebration, which this year takes place at Abbey Road Studios on 14 December.

The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation was founded in June 2019 following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died from eating sesame seeds that were baked into the dough of a baguette. There was a legal loophole in the food law that meant pre-packaged foods made and sold on the same premises didn’t have to list their ingredients. The label on the packaging didn’t include this ingredient and they were invisible to the naked eye. The charity’s vision is to eradicate allergic disease and help prevent food allergy deaths, while also bringing about positive change by focusing on law and policies, medical research and educating and raising allergy awareness.

Martin Ward, chief executive of the Country Range Group, said: “We’re proud to be entering into a partnership with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and are committed to their aims to help make food allergens a thing of the past. Although some important policies have been introduced since Natasha’s tragic death, there’s still so much more that can be done to prevent and eradicate allergic disease. We hope that this far-reaching partnership will bring about positive change and offer hope to those living with allergies.”

Nadim Ednan-Laperouse added: “We’re delighted to welcome the Country Range Group to Natasha’s Foundation and are overwhelmed by their generosity to name us as their chosen charity for the next three years. Our vision is to make allergy history, something we wouldn’t be able to do without the support of companies like the Country Range Group. Their knowledge, expertise and reputation in the foodservice sector is second to none so we’re thrilled we’re able to partner with them and their incredible independent members on our groundbreaking work.”