Appeal by Livingston mum of boy with Down's Syndrome sparks nationwide search for Asda spaghetti loops

Fifteen-year-old Duncan's favourite tea is Spaghetti Loops and he won't eat any brand other than Asda's

Lisa Calder, 34 from Livingston, realised she only had two tins of the Asda brand food in her cupboard and when she went her local store, there were none in stock.

Panicked Lisa posted an appeal on Facebook and her post was shared by her brother Kevin Calder who, as a brand ambassador for Tough Mudder, managed to reach people around the UK and soon Lisa was inundated by messages from people offering to send her whatever tins they had in the cupboard at home.

Meanwhile, one of the people who saw the appeal got in touch with Asda Falkirk depot manager David Wilson, and after hearing about the mum’s plight, made it his mission to help Duncan, who also has global learning delays and a sensory processing disorder.

Duncan's mum, Lisa Calder, launched a Facebook appeal and was overwhelmed with the response.

After seeing the post, he contacted every store in Scotland and tracked down the last remaining tins, which were in their store in Arbroath.

David's colleague Chris Walls then volunteered to get in his car and hand deliver the tins to Lisa’s house for Duncan to enjoy.

Lisa said: "I've been overwhelmed by the response. People have been posting tins to me and dropping them on my doorstep ... people have been so generous.

"I looked in the cupboard and realised I only had two days' worth left. I saw the previous post about Asda sourcing BBQ sauce for an autistic boy so that's when I posted on Facebook.

"People have suggested trying different brands or changing the label on the tin but I can't because Duncan notices these things! If they smell or taste different he will just push the bowl away. Medically he is thriving but he has a very limited diet and he has to have his Asda Spaghetti Loops.”

David said: "Unfortunately our supplier had reduced the number of lines they're making because of staff shortages caused by Covid-19. This is one of the particular lines they've dropped so they've stopped making them at this time.”

"I was contacted on LinkedIn by someone called Callum who was aware of Lisa's Facebook campaign and asked if I could help. I knew there were none left from a business perspective, but I also thought if we can do this it would be amazing.

"I then contacted all our Asda stores in Scotland to ask them to have a look in the shop. Asda Arbroath was the only one that had any left. I spoke to the section manager, Simon Lavery, who found 24 tins.

“I asked him to take them off sale and box them up to send to Falkirk depot. I arranged for a driver to deliver them the next day and then one of my warehouse managers, Chris Walls, volunteered to jump in the car and take them himself.”

Lisa was delighted at the unexpected delivery and has posted again on Facebook thanking Asda and other well-wishers.

She now has enough tins to last for a couple of months.

"I've been overwhelmed by the response," she said. "My Facebook post has had more than 7,000 shares and has reached Australia, Turkey and the US!

"People have been posting tins to me and dropping them on my doorstep. Yesterday I received a package from a lady called Liz Armstrong of five big and small tins. I said I'd pay postage as well as the cost of the tins but she didn't want anything for it. People have been so generous. I wasn't asking for food because I can't afford it, only because I couldn't find them anywhere.”

David says it was a team effort to make the Asda delivery possible.

He said: "There were a lot of people involved in trying to get this resolved, from Asda Logistics to Retail and Asda House. Thanks to all involved to help us sort this."