Minute on the clock: Leon Aarts, head of Felix's Kitchen
The head of Felix's Kitchen wants the help of chefs and business leaders to feed the community. Find out how the project works to help struggling individuals
How concerned are you about people coping this winter?
The cost of living crisis is being mentioned everywhere you turn, whether it's the high cost of food, heating, petrol – the effects are being felt far and wide. I know there are huge concerns in the hospitality industry – businesses and livelihoods are under threat and I sympathise, but for me it is individuals who I really worry for: those who are choosing between heating and eating, who are skipping meals to make sure their kids can eat and not using their ovens because they fear the price of switching it on.
What are you doing to help?
The Felix Project recently surveyed 1,513 Londoners living on less than £20,000 a year and we found that 47% of respondents felt concerned about being able to afford to cook food this winter and 17% of those were very concerned. We also found that four in 10 (from a survey of 348 parents) said they had struggled to feed their children in the past six months and had skipped meals or not bought food for themselves.
It is these people that I am hoping will benefit from a new initiative from the Felix Project. For the last few months, I have been working on a special pop-up site, which we are hoping to open in early 2023.
Tell us more about Felix at Good Company
The idea is that people from the community groups we serve will be able to come along and get a free delicious hot meal made from surplus food. Visitors will be able to warm up and hopefully, as the project progresses, benefit from other support services who can come along and give advice or information.
Where will Felix at Good Company be located and what will be on offer?
The space, somewhere in central London will welcome those struggling to feed themselves and their families. They will be able to warm up and hopefully, as the project progresses, benefit from other support services who can come along and give advice or information.
Then in the evening we will use the space for corporate and business events, supper clubs and more, the idea is that the evening will fund the daytime.
How do you feel about the launch?
It is an exciting project and it's close to our hearts. I am looking forward to getting going, but we are asking the restaurant industry to support us.
How can other people from the industry get involved?
We need chefs, head chefs, sous chefs, Michelin-starred chefs, waiters – anyone who has some time. Come along for a couple of hours or a day, share your expertise, but most of all help those who really need our support most right now. Every little helps.
We also need surplus – the food your restaurant would otherwise throw away. Before you bin it, think – can the Felix Project use it? We need anything from vegetables to pasta. Within a couple of hours, we can turn it into delicious meals and feed those experiencing food poverty.
If you would like to help, call 020 3034 4350 or email supply@thefelixproject.org
Continue reading
You need to create an account to read this article. It's free and only requires a few basic details.
Already subscribed? Log In
