Tesco Redruth Extra has teamed up with leading Cornish businesses Rodda’s and Cornish Tea to treat older people at the Donald Thomas Day Centre in Camborne to a traditional Cornish cream tea.

The centre is one of scores of local charities across Cornwall which benefit from Tesco’s Community Food Connection, which provides community groups with surplus food. The centre offers the over 50s in the Camborne area a safe, warm and welcoming environment with caring staff. Visitors can enjoy a hot meal or social activities such as bingo or a chat with friends.

Tesco Redruth Extra staff decided to provide centre visitors with a special treat with the aid of two leading Cornish brands stocked on the supermarket’s shelves. Rodda’s provided clotted cream and milk, Cornish Tea provided the tea, while Tesco provided scones and jam. Staff from all three businesses helped to serve the cream tea.

Dolores Crocker, aged 82, has been visiting the centre for more than 20 years and was among those who enjoyed the special treat. “I look forward to my trips to the centre, it means I can meet with friends over a hot meal or a cup of tea,” she said. “The cream tea today was wonderful, a great Cornish tradition that brings people together.”

Wayne Bennetts, Tesco Redruth Extra store manager, said: “The work that Judith and her team carry out at the Donald Thomas day centre is priceless, and we thought it would be great if we could team up with some of our great local suppliers to provide a special treat of a traditional Cornish cream tea to the people who come here.”

Belinda Shipp, Rodda’s marketing manager, said: “We know what a special treat a Cornish cream tea provides, and it was great that we could help provide this special treat to some of the older residents of our own community.”

The Redruth Extra store has donated more than 23,000 meals to community groups and charities since the launch of Community Food Connection less than a year ago, and is calling out for more groups to benefit from the scheme. The scheme is live in 900 Tesco stores, including 11 other stores in Cornwall from Penzance to Launceston, which have donated a combined 35,628 meals.

If you are a charity or community group that could benefit from the support of Community Food Connection, visit fareshare.org.uk/fareshare-foodcloud to register.