Hospitality sector urges new Prime Minister Liz Truss to ‘act quickly and decisively' to save the industry
“We believe that we can do a lot but only by working together."
‘I feel bad because I know this cost of living crisis will finish a lot of businesses off'
Possible mass winter closures as energy bills balloon to 300 percent
Three Restaurant closures announced in one week
The Felix Project is looking to create a social eating space in London in response to rising hunger due to the cost-of-living crisis.
It’s estimated approximately 1.7 million people live in food poverty with 400,000 children in London missing a meal every day.
Speaking to The Staff Canteen, The Felix Project’s Leon Aarts, a former chef who runs the Felix Kitchen, called on professionals from across the Britain’s hospitality industry to help support the charity in providing meals across the country.
Discussing his plans Leon explained: "We started cooking just before lockdown with only volunteers. We borrowed a kitchen and in 16 months we went through six different kitchens, our third kitchen after six weeks was in Wembley Stadium where we cooked over five thousand meals a day, now we're looking at talking to landlords for them to give us a site and where we can do something and have a showcase for the industry."
Growing from just a handful of volunteers, the charity now employs around one hundred and forty staff with hundreds volunteering with the charity to help them reach those in need.
Working with over four hundred different suppliers, The Felix Project collects food from across the country to give out and send to thousands of smaller charities to ensure food is provided to those who need it the most.
Highlighting how the charity has grown, Leon said: “Last year we opened a big kitchen, it's four and a half thousand square feet and we do about three and half thousand cooked meals out of surplus every day. Our premise is no good food goes to waste and no one in London goes hungry. That's what we're working on. We're nowhere near there and we need a lot of people to help us."
When asked what the hospitality industry can do to support the charity and other food poverty initiatives, Leon explained: "We don't always like to ask for money and this time we need more support. We need people to donate their time. Anything you can give, whether it’s 2-3 hours a day or one day a week it all helps.”
“THIS COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS IS GOING TO BE ALMOST BIBLICAL”
Looking towards the near future, Leon like many other charities, watchdogs, and industry bodies believes winter will be a nightmare for those vulnerable to food poverty, as well a business within the hospitality industry.
From an economic perspective, the fears shared by Leon and many others from across different industries, follows swathes of hospitality closures across the country with many more predicted across the following months into 2023.
Commenting on this Leon said: “I believe this crisis, we as The Felix Project and the people involved in the work we do, really believe that this cost-of-living crisis is going to be almost biblical, and it's going to last longer than one winter. We believe that we can do a lot but only by working together."
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“We believe that we can do a lot but only by working together."
Hospitality sector urges new Prime Minister Liz Truss to ‘act quickly and decisively' to save the industry
‘I feel bad because I know this cost of living crisis will finish a lot of businesses off'
Possible mass winter closures as energy bills balloon to 300 percent
Three Restaurant closures announced in one week
