A restaurant from Falmouth has added its kitchen to a scheme involving chefs from all over Cornwall joining forces to cook 5,000 meals for NHS staff.
Food4Heroes Kernow launched on April 22 and has now reached the milestone meal count, as nationally the overall figure hits 100,000 dishes delivered.
Falmouth's Greenbank Hotel has now become a kitchen hub sending out food under the expertise of head chef Nick Hodges and his team, with the Fox's Revenge at Summercourt also becoming a new hub.
They join an army of the county’s top chefs has also grown to include the likes of Arty Williams, formerly of The Cove at Maenporth, the chefs of the St Michael's Hotel and INDIdog in Falmouth and Bango Kitchen in Penryn, as well as the Watergate Bay Hotel further afield.
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More community hospitals have also joined the list of recipients, with staff from Falmouth and Bodmin now benefitting along with Helston, Launceston, Stratton and Newquay community hospitals.
It hopes to expand to support all community hospitals in Cornwall during the pandemic with the aid of public donations.
These can be made online at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/food4heroes-south-west, by texting F4HSW to 70191 to donate £10, or take part in the #StepUp4OurNHS challenge, which sees individuals climbing the equivalent height of UK landmarks from their own staircases to raise money and spread awareness, via www.food4heroes.co.uk/stepup-4-our-nhs
So far operating out of Rock-based St Enodoc Hotel and Fee’s Food kitchen, the 5,000 meals have been cooked by a team of volunteer chefs led by executive chef Guy Owen with support from chefs Tim Spedding (formerly of Coombeshead Farm), Ben Ambridge (The Fox’s Revenge), Nigel Bacon (Trevalsa Court Hotel) and Tim Kendall (The Barley Sheaf).
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Offering support to get the scheme rolled out across the county has been the High Sherriff of Cornwall Kate Holborow, St Enodoc Hotel owner James Strachan and Emma Trelawny, Food4Heroes coordinator, in partnership with the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Guy Owen said: “It’s quite an astonishing achievement to have produced 5,000 meals for our hardworking NHS in as little as a month.
"I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of the effort and to be back in the kitchen doing what I love for a great cause.
"The fact that we’re also able to support local producers in order to make these meals is fantastic, all of which have been so supportive of the cause, so a big thanks to Philip Warrens, Total produce and a particular thanks to Paul and Richard at Fish For Thought, who's donations have been extraordinary.
"We’re all looking forward to working towards the next milestone over the coming weeks.”
Food4Heroes was initially launched in Yorkshire on March 24, following an emotional online appeal by NHS worker Dawn Bilborough that went viral, when she was unable to buy food in her local supermarket after completing a 48-hour shift. It has since expanded all over the country.
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