Help The Hungry: Top restaurant chefs join forces to provide free meals for families

Food is going to those reliant on free school meals

Chefs in Schools co-founder Nicole Pisani stirs up a free meal at Grasmere Primary School, Stoke Newington, north London (Daniel Hambury/@stellapicsltd)

Staff from top restaurants, including Ottolenghi, Nopi, Hicce, Shed and Wahaca, have joined forces to cook for 450 families reliant on free school meals – and are using produce supplied by our campaign partner The Felix Project.

The effort has been organised by Chefs in Schools, a charity co-founded by former Ottolenghi chef Nicole Pisani together with Henry Dimbleby, founder of Leon restaurants, and Louise Nichols, executive head teacher of three Hackney primary schools.

It comes as our appeal passed the £3.6m mark, with substantial new donations from life insurance group Athora and financial institution ING. Ms Pisani said that 16 chefs deployed at four hubs in Hackney and Lewisham have been turning fresh produce supplied by Felix into 9,000 meals a week – comprising five lunches a week for two adults and two children in each of the 450 families.

“We believe that no child should go hungry during the Covid-19 crisis,” said Ms Pisani. “With schools closed and many children going without their vital free school meal, we’re working to get lunch boxes to children at home. Felix deliver about 12 pallets of fresh food to us every Monday, we gather to cook at our hubs in schools on Tuesday and the food is delivered to the families on Wednesday.

“Each box contains enough lunches for five days, plus cereal, pudding, fruit, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggs and pasta. Last week we made cauliflower and turmeric curry, pasta with pesto sauce and with tomato sauce and a carrot and ginger soup. Our mission has always been to improve the health of children by transforming the food culture and food education on offer.”

Chefs in Schools is one of more than 120 charities and schools being supplied by The Felix Project, which has quadrupled its deliveries since lockdown to 40 tonnes a day, the equivalent of 100,000 meals.

Naomi Duncan, chief executive of Chefs in Schools, said: “It’s been a real team effort. As well as helping families whose children are eligible for free school meals, we’re supporting families with no access to financial support. Their cupboards are empty, their children going hungry.”

Our Help The Hungry appeal is aiming to raise £10m over three years to help Felix feed those who are unable to access enough food.

Ulf Larsen, chief people and culture officer at Athora, which gave €25,000 (£21,700), said: “Felix’s work is essential in helping the most vulnerable Londoners and we are delighted to support their tremendous efforts.”

ING UK chief executive officer Malgorzata Kolakowska said: “Our UK team has backed the charity since last year, so it is close to our hearts.

“We are supporting through our global fund and colleagues in London who want to ensure people get the help they need.”

The Independent is encouraging readers to help groups that are trying to feed the hungry during the crisis – find out how you can help here. Follow this link to donate to our campaign in London, in partnership with the Evening Standard.