BRITISH FOOD PROMOTION BENEFITS RED CROSS

BARBARA MURRAY

GREENWICH, Conn. -- A two-week promotion of British food and drink brands at Food Emporium stores suddenly changed its focus after the attacks on Sept. 11, expanding to benefit the American Red Cross.

The promotion is being held at all 42 Food Emporium outlets throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, according to Steve Dawson, president, Food From Britain, here. It features in-store cooking demos, special display areas, window decorations and sweepstakes opportunities, and is to run through Oct. 28.

Early in September, Food From Britain was working with Food Emporium, a grocery chain with all its stores in the tristate area, to create a two-week festival celebrating British food and beverage products.

After Sept. 11, Food Emporium and Food From Britain immediately decided to change the focus of their in-store advertising to help the American Red Cross, Dawson told SN.

During the two-week period, every time a consumer purchases one of 14 Center Store items flagged in the Food Emporium circular, 25 cents will be donated to the American Red Cross. Ten cents will come from the manufacturer, 10 cents from Food From Britain, and 5 cents from the Food Emporium. Donations will be capped at $5,000 per product, Dawson said.

Included are: After Eight Chocolate Mints; Terry's Chocolate Orange; Altoids Peppermint; Crosse & Blackwell Major Grey Chutney; Walkers Shortbread; Twinings Earl Grey and English Breakfast Tea; Carr's Table Water Crackers and Ginger Lemon Creme Cookies; Schweppes Tonic Water and Ginger Ale; Boddingtons Pub Ale; and Robertson's Lemon Curd and Thick Cut Marmalade.

"Our clients were all very receptive to our change of focus and are happy to support the American Red Cross," Dawson said. "We may raise as much as $70,000 from this promotion."

All A&P, Waldbaum's, Food Emporium and Super Fresh stores were already accepting donations to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.