Intermarché provided the food for “Portugal’s largest Christmas dinner”, a Portuguese Red Cross initiative that gave 7,000 underprivileged people a chance to enjoy a lavish festive meal.
The dinner was held on Saturday, December 16 in 61 different parts of the country. In the Algarve, the initiative was held in Lagos and Olhão.
A codfish dish and the traditional ‘Bolo-Rei’ Christmas cake were just some of the foods served at canteens all over Portugal.
Francisco George, president of the Portuguese Red Cross, described the initiative as the “culmination of the work that the delegations of the Red Cross have carried out”.
He also thanked Os Mosqueteiros, the group that owns the Intermarché supermarket chain, for providing “over 7,000 complete meals that gave so many a memorable Christmas moment that otherwise would not have been possible”.
Franck Saintemarie and Angel Martins, owners of the Lagos and Olhão Intermarché supermarkets, explained how the 245 outlets that the chain runs in Portugal are led by “independent entrepreneurs who, like us, live in the towns where the supermarkets are based” and thus know local residents and some of their needs.
“This model allows us to develop a close relationship with those who visit us as well as the region’s institutions, making initiatives like these possible.”
