Chefs from Crystal Palace Football Club cooking for vulnerable people and NHS staff during coronavirus crisis

Chefs who would normally be preparing food for Premier League guests and players are cooking for vulnerable families and NHS staff in their community.

Crystal Palace Football Club chefs, have been creating healthy meals for front line NHS staff, and people who can’t buy meals, with food surplus redistribution charity, City Harvest London.

Club chefs are preparing and packaging up to 900 nutritious and nourishing meals a week in the kitchens at Selhurst Park, following the strictest hygiene and social distancing measures, which are then collected each day and distributed by City Harvest vans.

The food packages are being delivered to frontline workers, elderly and vulnerable people forced to stay at home, families facing food poverty and homeless people.

The programme is being funded by the club and individual shareholders, covering the costs of fresh ingredients, preparing nutritious meals and safely packing and labelling them ready for collection and distribution. City Harvest London is covering distribution costs.

The service will continue for as long as possible and practical during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mike Summers, chief executive of the Palace for Life Foundation, said: “We are delighted that the club has asked us to help deliver this initiative, along with City Harvest, to provide meals to heroic NHS staff working on the front line and to the most vulnerable members of our communities. It is in keeping with the club’s mission to be a force for good in South London.”

City Harvest chief executive Laura Winningham said: “It’s wonderful to see people coming together to help their communities.

“We couldn’t be happier to work with Crystal Palace FC and the Palace for Life Foundation to ensure more meals are made available to those in such great need.

“We have a wide outreach in South London, this partnership makes a huge impact.”