A team of dedicated kitchen staff from Grosvenor Casino Russell Square have helped the business to deliver a total of 25,000 free meals to help feed vulnerable people and families in communities across the UK.
Working alongside local charities and organisations such as The Salvation Army, Help the Aged, Only A Pavement Away and the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit Team at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, the casino’s kitchen team made up of nine members have cooked freshly prepared meals seven days a week to deliver to those in need across the capital since April.
Operating as a community kitchen hub has enabled the casino located in Russell Square to rise to the challenge of the pandemic. This week it cooked its 4,000th free meal for charity bringing Grosvenor Casinos total of meals delivered across England and Scotland to the 25,000 mark.
46-year-old, Mohammed Shaik, from East London is the Head Chef at Grosvenor Casinos Russell Square and has been a real driving force for the initiative. Working closely with his team Shaik prepares up to 150 meals a day for the initiative and takes great pride in helping the local community.
Speaking about the initiative he said: “It feels amazing to be able to do such noble work with my team we have all found it really rewarding and worthwhile. Giving those who need it a hot meal goes a long way and we’ve had some lovely thank you messages from the charities and organisations we’ve worked with.”
Cooking a simple menu of hot tasty meals such as delicious cheeseburgers and chips, chicken and mushroom casserole and vegetable madras curry, the team package the food individually for delivery staff from each local charity to collect on a daily basis.
As a thank you to the brave key workers the kitchen staff have also donated meals to the NHS nurses at local hospitals and to the police, ambulance teams and fire brigades who have kept the country going.
Jerry Lewis, General Manager at Grosvenor Casino Russell Square, said: “It has been a difficult time for everyone in the community but working with our charity partners to cook and deliver over 4,000 free meals to those who need them most is a real testament to everyone’s hard work and commitment to the cause.
“We’re proud of all the kitchen team and the delivery staff’s efforts who continue to go above and beyond to support this initiative which is being delivered by Grosvenor Casino venues across the country.”
Grosvenor Casino venues in Blackpool, Bristol, Dundee and Glasgow Merchant City are also providing a community kitchen and home delivery service to support their local communities.
