The Cornish Eco Egg company has, like other eggs producers, seen a significant rise in their egg surplus during Lockdown 3.0.
So as well as donating eggs to food banks, owner Cindy Rice has partnered with her friend; hotelier and business owner Karen Colam, to help tackle an as-yet under reported issue.
Much has been talked about the suffering mental health of over stressed workers, but the mental health of those unable to work has been similarly impacted. The mental health of hospitality workers has taken a huge dive since the industry has been so badly hit by the Covid 19 pandemic.
Cindy is offering free eggs to closed catering and hospitality companies to encourage them to bake cakes for families in need or to give away alongside takeaway customers. The farm owners Cindy and David Rice have already donated pallets of eggs to food-banks but Cindy says they were aware that up and down the country there are thousands of chefs with no-one to cook for and catering kitchens with unused equipment.
“Everyone loves a cake,” says Karen Colam. “So let’s get chefs doing what they do best and put some smiles on people’s faces with slices of comfort”.
Karen and Cindy worked and trained together in the mental health sector and as professionals find this intertwines with every aspect of their business lives too.
The opportunity to include the hospitality and catering community in direct action to feed those in food poverty seemed like a proactive and positive response to the inevitable egg surplus. It also gives many chefs who may be feeling disenfranchised and without much purpose at the moment, something to get up for and get them feeling more positive about the coming season and the opportunities for a bright future.