Words by Smiley Team
London-based catering chef Ayesha Pakravan, 26 has launched Vital Meals, a new service which produces over 200 meals a day to feed vulnerable people across London during the Covid-19 crisis.
When Ayesha’s new catering company, The Plattery, was affected by the coronavirus pandemic, she put her resources to good use and helped her local community in South West London. Since its conception in mid-March, Vital Meals has cooked and delivered over 4,500 nutritious meals.
The service, which started as a mission to feed the elderly and high risk individuals, now offers meals to anyone in need including NHS staff, key workers, children unable to access cooked meals, people on low income, homeless shelters and more. Each person is provided with a minimum of six meals ensuring a supply of food that can be frozen and used throughout a week in confinement. Meals include sausage casserole with haricot bean mash, chilli con carne, lentil dahl with homemade flatbreads, soup and homemade focaccia, Lasagne and Veggie lasagne.
“When all of the bookings for my catering business were cancelled, I knew I couldn’t sit by and see people go hungry which is why I created Vital Meals.’ Says Pakravan. “I now want to offer our help to even more Londoners and we are fully committed to helping those who can’t get to the shops, are unable to order food online, and who don’t have the support of friends, family or their neighbourhood. I urge those in need to reach out to us.”
Ayesha has already expanded her network by collaborating with chefs in North and East London, and now, as the UK lockdown has been extended, the service is pledging to help even more people and is seeking more donations.
Initially, Vital Meals was entirely funded with small profits from Ayesha’s catering business, The Plattery. In order to ensure demand can be met for the service, Ayesha is asking the British public to show their support by making donations to Vital Meals.
Ayesha continues: “We are committed to helping as many people as we can and hope that the British public can offer their support, so that we never have to say no to someone who needs our help. Donations, however small, can make a huge difference to someone in their time of need.”
Additionally, Vital Meals is working to expand its offering to include two additional services including Parcel to Plate and Vital Voices. Parcel Plate - inspired by Ayesha’s mum who lives with arthritis - aims to reach those who receive food parcels but are unable to cook at home for themselves. Instead, the ingredients are cooked up by Vital Meal chefs and home-cooked meals are re-delivered. Vital Voices is a telephone service for anyone receiving support via Vital Meals who may be feeling lonely during this isolating time.
For more information or to make a donation to ensure this service is able to continue running please visit Vital Meals Go Fund Me page. Just £10 will provide four nutritious meals to someone in need.
Anyone who needs access to the service can do so by visiting http://www.vitalmeals.org/ or by emailing [email protected]. The service currently operates in London across all West and Southwest and also some North and East postcodes.
All donations go towards ingredients and petrol for deliveries. A £10 donation will provide four nutritious meals to someone who needs them
