Covid-19 has all but brought hospitality and foodservice to a grinding halt. We have featured many examples from across the foodservice community where people are doing their bit through the crisis, but today a first, delivery of food for those in need by the fire brigade.
Wendy Baird and team run Carriages Café on Platform 1 at Newark Castle Station. Every Wednesday evening Carriages Café transforms into a ‘Community Café’ providing a three course meal for disadvantaged people for £3, or free for those unable to pay. At least it did until the onset of Covid-19.
Once the café closed it immediately transferred service to home delivery of meals to even more disadvantaged people, 200 to be precise. Every Wednesday evening.
The transformation saw some food being provided by the local Morrisons store at no cost, and food bought from Fairtrade like wonky vegetables at low cost.
The levels of production required started to put a strain on the kitchen, East Midlands Railway then learning of the dilema donated £2,500 to the Community Café ensuring the good work continued.
Wendy then took to social media looking for a convection oven with a budget of £2,500 courtesy of East Midlands Railway. She also contacted some foodservice media outlets, and Montgomery Events MD, Lori Hoinkes responded putting Wendy in touch with Keith Warren, CEO, FEA. Warren via email told Wendy to “Wait for a call”.
The call came from Mark Griffiths at Hobart, and Wendy and team now have a new ex demo convection oven on budget, and in the kitchen helping to produce the increased output.
Fire Brigade Food Delivery
The delivery team is now in part helped by the local fire brigade. For the many people being helped by the community café with food being delivered in a big red shiny fire engine, this is our first report on the delivery of experiential dining.
A single mum, isolating with 3 young children was delighted and told us: “Thank you so much to all at the community café. Meals were super and the children were so excited to see the fire engine, the gingerbread men were well received too.”
We congratulate all that have helped Wendy and team in helping others when most in need, well done.
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Fire Brigade Food Delivery – 12 June 2020