Marlow based celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has launched a new initiative to deliver 25,000 free meals to Marlow’s most vulnerable during the coronavirus crisis.

The chef, along with his Pub in the Park festival team and entrepreneurs Chris Hughes and Andy Agar, launched the ‘Meals From Marlow’ not-for-profit initiative on Thursday, April 2, where the first 500 meals were distributed to local healthcare workers, frontline workers and vulnerable people in the town and surrounding areas.

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The first organisations to have benefited from this scheme are the staff at High Wycombe Hospital and Wexham Park Hospital, along with locals in need of support in and around Marlow

This comes after this year’s Pub in Park festival, which was due to take place in May, had been pushed back due to the outbreak of Covid-19

Mayor of Marlow Richard Scott said: “The town council, its councillors and officers are delighted to be involved in Meals from Marlow.

“This is a great initiative for front line workers, vulnerable residents and others in need in Marlow and surrounding towns.

“On behalf of all residents, thank you to everyone who is selflessly delivering meals to those who most need them.”

The initiative was launched thanks to donations from Pub in the Park, Origin Doors & Windows, Una Loughrey & Peter Griffin and Softcat Staff, with funding already in place to produce the first 6,800 meals.

Additionally, Meals from Marlow is seeking to raise £14,000 a week to be able to supply 500 meals a day for as long as the coronavirus crisis continues.

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Those involved in the initiative are hoping to raise over £100,000 so that the most vulnerable in Marlow are feed during this current health crisis.

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Tom said: “We want to do our bit to help as many people as possible and the response so far has been fantastic.

“We are reaching out from and within Marlow to those most in need.

"Please help us by donating.”

A meal costs £4 to produce.

Donations can be made via the dedicated GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/meals-from-marlow.

Businesses interested in sponsoring or partnering with the initiative can contact Andy Agar on 07770 381195 or email apagar@icloud.com.