A GROUP working tirelessly to help feed Ayrshire residents through the COVID-19 crisis, has provided more than 40,000 meals in just nine weeks.

The group of chefs and front of house staff from Buzzworks Holdings joined forces with Ayrshire charity Centrestage as the demand for meals to feed vulnerable locals rose when the coronavirus lockdown came into effect.

The determined team have been working five days a week, creating wholesome meals with ingredients kindly gifted by charity Fareshare, public donations and Buzzworks own suppliers.

Trevor Garden, who before lockdown oversaw food operations across all 12 Buzzworks venues in Ayrshire and beyond, said: “With the kitchen at Centrestage equipped for only producing around 1,000 meals per week, we have relished the challenge of putting our skills to good use and producing over 5,000 meals for those in need on a weekly basis.

“The dedication from both chefs and our front of house team, who have been integral in packaging up each meal to be distributed, makes me incredibly proud and to have already ensured 40,000 meals have gone out to people facing hardship and difficulties in the communities we work, I’m sure that we are helping to make a difference.”

The team receive weekly ingredient donations and are then tasked with creating meal plans that can be dished out on a large scale.

Paul Mathieson, CEO at Centrestage said: “This challenging time has significantly impacted many people across our communities. Our priority at Centrestage during this pandemic has been to support where we can.

“We are all very grateful for the support, professionalism and dignity of the Buzzworks Team and I hope that we will continue to support each other through the challenging months ahead and beyond.”

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