A Manchester restaurant is helping local families amid government food parcel failure
- South Manchester restaurant helping families struggling to for food during lockdown
- Marcus Rashford says free school meals provision 'not good enough'
- Suppliers helping out with leftover provisions
A restaurant in south Manchester is providing hot meals to local families who are struggling during lockdown.
Rustik in West Didisbury announced this week that it would be providing families with breakfast boxes free of charge.
The restaurant began a similar scheme in October when the government announced it would not be providing free school meals over half-term.
The decision to relaunch the scheme comes amid outrage from parents across the country over the quality of the food packages provided as an alternative to free school meals, now that schools have been closed.
Marcus Rashford, who led the charge against the government’s decision in October which resulted in a U-turn, has criticised the food parcels, claiming they are: “just not good enough”.
3 days of food for 1 family…
Just not good enough. pic.twitter.com/Y7FJEFFAma— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) January 11, 2021
Ella Routledge, manager at Rustik, said: “When we found out in October we ran a breakfast club where people could come in the morning and receive a free breakfast on us.
“Obviously with this lockdown, we’ve decided to do food packages that families can come and collect, or we can drop it off if they can’t get it themselves.
“We put stuff in there that should cover a minimum of three days.
“We’ve been trying to get in touch with suppliers to see if there’s anything they’ve been wasting that we could have and donate.”
Ella criticised the government’s recent handling of free school meal provisions and said it was up to local businesses to help out where they could.
“I don’t really think that the government cares enough to be honest. It shouldn’t be down to local business to provide families with food off our own back, but we’ll always try and help in whatever way we can,” she said.
“I don’t think the government has an inkling as to what it’s like at the minute for ordinary people.”
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson called the contents of the free school meals parcels “unacceptable” and says Chartwells, the firm responsible, had apologised.
Rustik has asked any struggling local families to contact them at [email protected]