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Local catering businesses have joined the Council’s rapid response team to help feed the borough’s elderly and vulnerable residents.
The Red Lion Horsell and Fairoak Foods are utilising their expert culinary teams and commercial kitchens to boost the Council’s community meals service by providing a range of nutritious and tasty hot meals for the Council’s extra care sheltered accommodation, Brockhill.
Popular pub restaurant, The Red Lion based in Horsell, is providing hot lunches to Brockhill three days a week. Its creative team are cooking 60 hot meals each day, including hearty favourites such as shepherd’s pie, chicken casserole, meatballs and many other options.
Richard Brown, Director at Red Lion Horsell, said: “Although as a business we are completely closed at the moment, two of our chefs are opening up our kitchen three days a week to provide 180 meals to residents in Brockhill. We are really pleased to be able to help the community at this difficult time. It’s good for morale within our team as well as giving us a sense of purpose.’’
Also picking up the baton to support Brockhill’s meal requirements, Fairoak Foods high-quality business to business and private functions caterer is providing lunches to the residential care home four days a week.
Steve Elkins, Managing Director at Fairoak Foods, said: “We have created a three-week menu cycle to provide hot lunches to residents at Brockhill. As a locally based business we are really keen to be able to support and help the community we work within, and our team has felt really rewarded in doing so. We would also like to thank Woking Borough Council for their support towards our business.”
Focusing their support on fulfilling the Council’s cold food requirements, established local caterer Truffles, is dishing up and delivering 200 sandwiches a day, seven days a week. This is significantly bolstering the community meals afternoon tea service and providing emergency subsistence for temporary homeless residents and rough sleepers.
Cliff Corbett, Director at Truffles, said: “We have three members of our staff team working and delivering sandwiches every day to vulnerable people. As well as being able to help the community we appreciate the support our business has been given as this has enabled us open our kitchens and give us a base to build the business back up again once restrictions to public gatherings and business meetings are lifted.”
Cllr David Bittleston, Leader of Woking Borough Council, said: “By working with and supporting local businesses, the council has been able to focus our efforts on providing help to vulnerable people across the borough and build extra capacity into our community meals provision. These businesses have been providing a variety of nourishing meals for the most vulnerable in our community, helping to keep them safe and well.”