A London restaurant group has announced that it will offer free lunches to school children amid the coronavirus crisis.
QOOT Group – which includes restaurant brands Dominique Ansel Bakery, By Chloe, The Lebanese Bakery and Gentlemen Baristas – will offer a complimentary lunch to any child who would qualify for free school meals from the government.
The offer comes as the prime minister announced on Wednesday March 18 that schools would close from this Friday in order to combat the spread of the virus. The government has said that children who are eligible for free school meals will be given food vouchers during the closure.
The free lunches at QOOT restaurants will consist of a sandwich, a drink and a snack, and will be available to collect at 12 restaurant locations across the capital. In order to pick up the meal, families must display their benefits documentation at the restaurant.
“Covid-19 is an existential threat to the UK’s most vulnerable families,” said the group’s COO Simon Wright. “If we at QOOT can go some way in relieving that threat, then at least there will be some positive to rise from this tragic time for the hospitality industry and our nation as a whole.”
In recent days, restaurants have also moved to support those on the front line of the fight against the virus by offering discounts to NHS staff. Groups offering discounts include Leon, Pizza Pilgrims and Pret, as well as the Lebanese Bakery and By Chloe of QOOT.
The full list of QOOT locations serving the free meals for children is below:
- By Chloe (Covent Garden), 34-43 Russell Street, WC2B 5HA, eatbychloe.com
- By Chloe (Tower Bridge), One Tower Bridge, 6 Duchess Walk, SE1 2SD, eatbychloe.com
- By Chloe (Oxford Circus), 4-5 Langham Place, W1B 3DG, eatbychloe.com
- The Lebanese Bakery (Covent Garden), Russell Street, WC2B 5HA, thelebanesebakery.com
- Dominique Ansel Bakery (Belgravia), 7-21 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9RP, dominiqueansellondon.com
- Dominique Ansel Treehouse (Covent Garden), 24 Floral Street, WC2E 9DP, dominiqueanseltreehouse.com
- Gentlemen Baristas (Borough), 63 Union Street, SE1 1SG, thegentlemenbaristas.com
- Gentlemen Baristas (London Bridge), 11 Park Street, SE1 9AB, thegentlemenbaristas.com
- Gentlemen Baristas (East India Dock), Import Building, 2 Clove Crescent, E14 2BE, thegentlemenbaristas.com
- Gentlemen Baristas (Hammersmith), 3 Shortlands, W6 8DA, thegentlemenbaristas.com
- Gentlemen Baristas (Holborn), Unit 3, 1 New Oxford Street, WC1A 1LW, thegentlemenbaristas.com
- Gentlemen Baristas (Vinegar Yard), Vinegar Yard, SE1 3QU, thegentlemenbaristas.com
