Launched just five weeks ago on March 24th by Amanda Guest of Guest Dining and John Brownhill, Food4Heroes pools local catering companies, gastropubs and restaurants to deliver fresh and nutritious meals to NHS health and care staff across 24 hospitals.
Jonny Brownlee, Olympic triathlete, said: “Food4Heroes’ brilliant work is keeping our NHS heroes healthy and energised. It started in my home of Yorkshire, and I’m really proud to be taking part in serving the 100,000th meal.”
John Brownhill, an HR technology consultant and co-founder of Food4Heroes, said: “Five weeks ago, we set out to provide a few hundred meals at The Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. Since then, we’ve expanded to 24 hospitals, with over 45 restaurants and chefs opening their kitchens to make meals for NHS workers.
“The response has been incredible from our communities, a network of more than 800 volunteers and incredibly generous public donations. And we are delighted to support local food businesses, keeping chefs cooking during the lockdown. We aim to provide our NHS heroes with meals for as long as this crisis continues.”
Amanda-Jane Weir, Head of Staff Engagement, Queen Elisabeth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It is through the kindness and generosity of groups like Food4Heroes that we are able to continue to look after the health and wellbeing of our staff, however it’s not just about providing nutrition, but staff knowing that people are out there working with love and passion to support them through this crisis.
“It’s not just food for the belly – it’s food for the hearts and minds too.”
Some of the restaurants and local caterers involved in this initiative across the country include:
* Andrew Bradley, from Bradley’s Outside Catering, Yorkshire – supplying 3,745 weekly meals to Halifax from his home
* Family run pub, The Old White Hart, Lyddington – supplying 400 meals daily to Kettering General hospital
* Fosters Event Catering have nearly 100 employees producing, transporting and serving more than 300 meals daily to Southmead Hospital, Bristol
* Celebrity chef Michael Caines working with his Academy at Exeter College – soon to launch supplying meals to Exeter Hospital
* Connie and Hester Sale, mother and daughter, who not only volunteered to set up a region but are also providing 150 meals a day to Horton General Hospital, Banbury, using a local school kitchen.