A food poverty social enterprise and its partners joined forces to produce over 1500 Christmas dinners to those in need over the festive season.
These fresh tasty meals produced within The Larder’s Catalyst Kitchen went directly to their 264 beneficiaries dealing with personal issues such as vulnerability, unemployment, homelessness and isolation.
West Lothian College hospitality students produced 1000 mince pies to be served alongside The Larder’s meals which the Catalyst Kitchen Project Co-ordinator Debbie Joy noted were “well received”.
Parsley Box who specialise in ambient meals provided 200 family packs to assist with those in temporary tenancies.
Working in conjunction with the West Lothian Councils Homelessness Prevention Service, they were able to cater to an additional 64 in need living in various hotels in the area. Similarly, a further 55 meals were provided to Change Grow Live, a recovery and addiction service.
A spokesperson said: “The Larder are now exploring other ways of supporting food with dignity during the pandemic with increased restrictions in Tier 4, including how they best use their unused café spaces to feed people during lockdown and beyond.
“These partnerships are a prime example of private, public and third sector joining together to make change.
“Coronavirus has significantly impacted people’s access to quality meals whether that is as a result of financial loss, isolation or physical implications.
“The Larder and partnerships are actively seeking to improve the astronomical effects that coronavirus has had on food poverty.”
