Pub cooks 5,000 meals for NHS teams

The George Inn, Newnham, has recently finished creating a staggering 5,000 meals for NHS staff.

The incredible gesture took place after the pub was contacted by the team at the Medway Maritime Hospital, asking if they would be interested in supplying takeaway lunches for staff on site.

As a result, four members of the team were brought back from from furlough to undertake the mammoth task of creating 1,000 meals a day for five days. They prepared and cooked the food from 6pm to 10.30pm, then returned the next morning to pack it into boxes from 6am to 10am, before delivering them to the hospital.

Husband and wife team Dave and Claire Elliott have run the Shepherd Neame pub since 2018, and have worked hard to pivot their offer since the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, transforming the old stable into a village shop that sells fresh fruit and vegetables, homemade produce and gifts, as well as introducing a takeaway menu.

What's on the menu?

“Medway Maritime Hospital told us that they wanted to give their team a little treat as a thank you for their dedication during the past months, and were keen to source the food from a local business," explains Dave. "They gave us a budget and we came up with five different dishes which they approved, and then we got to work.”

The dishes for the NHS teams included duck in hoisin sauce with spring onion, cucumber and egg noodles; smoked mackerel with new potatoes and chive mayonnaise; roasted vegetables with braised rice; gluten-free penne pasta with poached chicken and pesto; cous cous with sundried tomatoes, olives and griddled halloumi. The team also included a £5 voucher for The George Inn with every lunch.