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John Lewis and Waitrose are offering staff free food from October to January to help with the cost of living.

The meals, during work hours, are for permanent staff, known as partners, as well as temporary and agency workers.

Andrew Murphy, chief operations officer at the John Lewis Partnership, said its workers "make the difference".

Soaring food costs have pushed UK inflation to 10.1% with prices continuing to rise at their fastest rate for more than 40 years.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks were the largest contributor to rising prices in July, according to the ONS.

The price of bread, cereals, milk, cheese and eggs rose the fastest, while the cost of vegetables, meat and chocolate were also higher.

A spokesman for the John Lewis Partnership told the ´óÏó´«Ã½ someone working a four-hour shift could choose one meal - breakfast, lunch or dinner - depending on the time of day.

A partner working an eight-hour shift could choose two meals, he said. The food will be delivered in different ways depending on the workplace, he said.

Staff at larger stores, head offices and distribution centres will have their meals in canteens, while long distance lorry drivers would pre-order packed lunches, he said.

Those working in smaller convenience stores would receive a vending style offer, for example Waitrose salads or sandwiches, he said.

It comes as the John Lewis Partnership looks to recruit 10,000 temporary roles for the festive season.

In September and October the partnership will start advertising 4,000 seasonal roles at Waitrose shops and 2,000 in John Lewis stores.

A further 4,000 roles in its supply chain like warehouse workers and drivers will be advertised through recruitment agencies, it said.