Eat Well: The restaurant-backed charity feeding hidden homeless families in Manchester
What began as a drive to feed the NHS has become so much more - with restaurant-backed charity Eat Well MCR now dedicated to supporting the Manchester families most affected by the pandemic.
Across Greater Manchester, there are thousands of families living in emergency and temporary accommodation.
Whilst standards vary, the majority offer very little cooking equipment – and generally, ‘mod cons’ on offer come down to little more than a shared kettle and maybe a microwave.
Much of this housing is often located in ‘food deserts’ – areas with limited access to affordable, fresh ingredients. This, combined with families’ financial struggles, means some parents across the region are choosing to go hungry so that they can feed their kids.
Although there is a good amount of visibility for street homelessness services in Manchester today, the plight of families experiencing homelessness remains much more obscured.
Currently, only a few organisations recognise the issue – and Manchester charity Eat Well MCR is the one preparing fresh, nutritious meals for people in need (as opposed to dried packets of noodles, for example).
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Meals prepared by Ancoats restaurant Elnecot being delivered to MRI ITU in May 2020 / Image: Eat Well MCR
The charitable collective was set up by Creameries chef Mary-Ellen McTague alongside friends Kathleen O’Connor and Gemma Saunders in April of last year, a week before the first lockdown hit.
Initially, its focus was on providing food to hard-hit NHS staff. At that time, panic buying had emptied supermarket shelves and many were coming off gruelling shifts to find they couldn’t even get any food in for their tea.
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Simultaneously, restaurants and bars were still open but had no customers – thanks to early government guidance that advised people to keep away but didn’t tell businesses to close.
This meant there were a host of Manchester chefs standing in empty restaurants with fully-stocked pantries, watching food deteriorate whilst others struggled to get any at all.
McTague had a brainwave. Facing her own empty restaurant kitchen, with a load of donations of fresh food that had no other place to go, she felt that “the obvious thing to do was to cook the food and take it to those who needed it.”
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Partnering with a network of top Manchester restaurants like Hawksmoor and Elnecot, the trio quickly mobilised to take unwanted food that would otherwise have gone in the bin and redistribute it into healthy meals for local NHS staff.
Restaurant-grade meals prepared by staff at Ancoats restaurant Elnecot, Little Window in Altrincham and Honest Crust Sourdough Pizza for those in need / Image: Eat Well MCR
In the weeks that followed, they went from delivering 50 meals on their first day to more than 1,800 a week – and soon realised there were a lot more people in Manchester who needed their help.
Eat Well expanded their operation to begin working with homeless and other vulnerable residents, reaching out to women’s refuges and hotels housing rough sleepers to offer their support.
They also set up an online marketplace, a win-win that has helped to fund more meals for those in need whilst also bringing in much-needed money for partner restaurants that were intermittently closed or operating as takeaway only during the lockdowns.
Here, people can purchase top quality restaurant produce like sourdough pizzas from Honest Crust, pre-mixed cocktails from local producers like Into The Gathering Dust, and fresh fruit and veg from projects like the Cinderwood market garden – a 1-acre organic market garden in Cheshire set up by a local farmer and chef to help make biologically intensive food more accessible.
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To date, the charitable collective has delivered nearly 45,000 meals to people in need and is aiming to hit its next milestone of 100,000 with a little help from the people of Manchester.
Deliveries arriving at ABC Brewery for the Eat Well MCR Marketplace – set up to help partner restaurants sell their produce and to fund more meals for those in need / Image: Eat Well MCR
Managing everything themselves, the charity sources food for their partner restaurants to cook up into nutritious, hearty portions then delivers it out to partner charities such as Emmeline’s Pantry, a Manchester food bank that works exclusively with women in need.
It’s made a huge difference to families who use the service, according to team member Karen Wilson.
“These meals mean so much to our families for different reasons – some are in temporary accommodation with just a microwave, so having a balanced tasty meal is a real treat,” she said.
“It’s a blessing to have a lovely meal made with care, it means more than just the food itself.”
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She adds that the partnership has also meant that some families have had the chance to try new foods from restaurants in central Manchester – like KRUM doughnuts from Freight Island and Nell’s pizza.
“The feedback we have had from some of the people we support was that it brought back lovely family memories from childhood, enjoying a meal all together,” adds Karen.
“We also have the supper club part of our making memories scheme, where we get wonderful takeaway meals delivered to the children – they love the variety.
“It’s such a treat to our families! None of that would be possible without Eat Well MCR and we are incredibly thankful to them for everything they do for us.”
Emmeline’s Pantry is a family-focused food bank. Each week, service users can take home a delicious meal, ready prepared – something that many of us take for granted. / Image: Eat Well MCR
Speaking on the project, co-founder and chef Mary-Ellen McTague said: “Food poverty is a real issue in Greater Manchester and there is still so much more work to be done to help people in challenging circumstances who rely on the work we carry out.
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“Food shouldn’t just be about survival; it should feed the soul and be an occasion to look forward to. We provide a delicious, restaurant-grade meal once a week to vulnerable people across Manchester because we believe it’s something everyone deserves and has a right to.
“We’re so thankful to everyone who has supported and donated to Eat Well MCR after what has been such an uncertain year for so many people. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last year and we couldn’t have done it without the help from the wonderful people who have continued to buy, donate, and shout about us.
“We’re so keen to keep this momentum for donations going and would love to celebrate the delivery of 100,000 meals.”
To support Eat Well MCR and help reach the 100,000 meal milestone, you can provide a monthly or one-off donation by visiting their JustGiving page or eatwellmcr.org.
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Andy Burnham and Bev Craig pen hard-hitting letter to Prime Minister over rumoured scrapping of HS2 to Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham and Cllr Bev Craig have penned a hard-hitting letter to Rishi Sunak to “express concern” about the future of HS2.
It comes after alarming reports have emerged this week that the Prime Minister is apparently considering axing plans for the HS2 rail link to run from Birmingham to Manchester amid soaring costs and countless delays.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, and several major business leaders may have hit out at these rumours – but Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has suggested the scheme is currently “out of control”, while former transport secretary Grant Shapps said the Government wouldn’t be able to cope if costs continued on an upward trajectory.
With a decision on the fate of the already-contentious project’s Manchester leg expected in the coming days, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the Leader of Manchester City Council have joined forces in their stance against the “swirling rumours”.
The pair have penned a hard-hitting letter directly to the Prime Minister to call out the Government’s actions.
🚄"We are becoming increasingly concerned about the rumours swirling around HS2 to Manchester and, by extension, Northern Powerhouse Rail"
— Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (@MayorofGM) September 25, 2023
Local leaders have always maintained the view that the wrong HS2 solution for Greater Manchester could “damage” and have a wider impact on the north, and this latest letter addressed directly to the Prime Minister by the Mayor and Council Leader only reinforces that stance – with the pair calling it “deeply disrespectful” to residents and businesses in our region that the Government has not offered them a chance to consult on potential scrapping of the service.
Andy Burnham and Cllr Bev Craig say they’ve been “working with the Government for decades” on the HS2 project in order to best “galvanise support” and “maximise the once-in-a-generation opportunity” of the investment into northern infrastructure that offers.
But now, they’re becoming “increasingly concerned” about the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) as a whole.
Andy Burnham and Bev Craig have penned a hard-hitting HS2 letter / Credit: Flickr | Manchester City Council
“At this stage, any change to the current plan for HS2 would have massive ramifications, not just for our city-region, but the North and Midlands too,” Mr Burnham and Cllr Craig stated in their letter.
“Any cancellation of HS2 to Manchester would effectively be cancelling NPR in its current form too, and we therefore find it deeply disrespectful to our residents and businesses that we have not been offered any opportunity to feed our views into this process nor have we received any information about what is being considered.
“We are completely in the dark and that simply isn’t right given how profoundly important this is for our part of the country.”
Mr Burnham and Cllr Craig conceded that whilst it is “reasonable” for any Government to want to ensure HS2 “delivers value for money”, and that prices do not “escalate out of control”, they do not believe the north should “have to pay for the Government’s mismanagement” of the HS2 budget.
“Our purpose in writing, first and foremost, is to ask you for the courtesy of a meeting before any final decision is taken,” the pair continued in their letter to Mr Sunak.
“We believe we are owed that at the very least.
The Prime Minister is reportedly considering axing plans for the HS2 rail link to Manchester / Credit: HS2
“If you were to agree to that, we would convey to you, in the strongest possible terms, that HS2 should not be scrapped as we believe the north of England needs new North-South and East-West rail infrastructure, and should not be forced to choose between them in the same way that London hasn’t been forced such a choice.
“However, if you are adamant on making changes to the scheme, we could be open to a discussion about prioritising the Northern section of the line, between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, so that it enables NPR to be built first.
“This would be conditional on two things – NPR being built in full, with an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly and a new line via Bradford, and a clear commitment that HS2 to Manchester is not being scrapped but re-phased and the protections left in place.
“We believe this is a reasonable proposal to put to you given the circumstances we find ourselves in.
“If you refuse to accept any of what we are saying, we believe that people here will conclude that your promises to level up the North, on which this Government was elected, are utterly meaningless.”
Featured Image – HS2
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Iconic Manchester nightclub Panacea reopens as IKaro, a new grill and champagne bar
The Manc
This week, an iconic Manchester venue will reopen its doors with a brand new concept.
The legendary city centre nightclub known as Panacea is about to reopen as IKaro, a new grill and champagne bar on John Dalton Street.
The move follows an application for planning permission earlier this year and sees a new team into the former popular celebrity hotspot Panacea, which has been closed since 2015.
At the restaurant, diners will find two menus focusing on two different elements, fire and ice. On the first, you’ll find Grilled Lobster Tails, Japanese A5 Wagyu Ribeye, and Australian Wagyu Tomahawk.
On the second an array of Sushi and Sashimi such as Torched Hand Dived Scallops and Bluefin Tuna Otoro.
Behind the menus are talented sushi chef, Lattawan Buchanan, who’s spent time at popular restaurants Ivy Asia and former ‘Masterchef: The Professionals’ finalist, Exose Grant.
Head Chef Exose Grant, said, “Our menu showcases the best of the land and sea. We’ll be using fresh, quality produce in the best possible way. Innovative and impeccably presented dishes that don’t compromise on flavour.”
Behind the bar, you’ll find countless varieties of Champagne including a frequently changing sommelier’s selection of rare bottles which, in keeping with the venue’s reputation as a go-to late-night haunt, will be served up until doors close at 2.30am.
Head of bars, Sean McGuirk, said: “Alongside our extensive ‘by the bottle’ offering, you can expect elevated classic cocktails, as well as some uniquely extravagant options.
“Our team will play with flavours and theatrics to deliver an experience like no other.”
IKaro will mark its launch with a VIP event on Saturday 23 September before doors open to the public on Wednesday 27 September.
Company director, Zack Issak, said, “It’s long overdue that this popular space opened its doors once more and we’re thrilled to be able to do that.
“IKaro will create an unforgettable experience from start to finish. Guests will enjoy a choice of the world’s finest Champagnes, paired with the best Wagyu steaks and seafood on the market.”
Bookings for the intimate, 84-cover restaurant, are open now and can be made online at www.ikaro.co.uk for Wednesday 27 September onwards.