Delicious UK - (05)May 2020

24 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

WhenLulu’sworkona filmset

wascancelledinMarch,shefound

herselfata looseend.A friendwho

wasa strokespecialisthadbeen

requisitionedtoworkona Covid-19

ward,andLulumadea batchofher

favouritemeal,lasagne,toensure

shehadfoodtocomehometo.“She

was so grateful,I thoughtI’ddoit

forotherdoctorfriends

aswell,”saysLulu,

who’sbasedin

London.Sheoffered

onInstagramtotake

donationstomake

mealsforNHS

workersandwas

floodedwith

responses.

Luckily,twofriendsofhersare

chefs:AlexHely-Hutchinsonof

restaurant 26 GrainsandAngela

HartnettofMurano.Theybegan

cookingforLulu’scause,whichshe

called Cook-19. An email from

CharingCrossHospital’sICUteam

revealedwhatfrontlineNHS

workerswereupagainst.“People

werefindingit impossibletoget

outoftheirPersonalProtective

Equipment(PPE)anddisinfect

togetfood,”saysLulu.

TheCook-19teampivotedtheir

plan,makingcontactlessdeliveries

of 100 mealsa daytonominated

zonesatsevenLondonhospitals–

enoughfoodforthedayandnight

shift.They’vealsosupportedNHS

workersrequiredtoself-isolate

afterdevelopingsymptomsby

deliveringcarepackagestotheir

door.A Covid-19consultantadvises

onsafetymeasures– bothfor

cookinganddeliveries.

Howhavetheteampulledoff

thisfeatoforganisation?Firstthey

cookedfromhome(withLulu’sdad

asdeliverydriver),butthencaterer

SmartHospitalityopenedthedoors

toitsBermondseykitchenafter

Angelagotintouch.Stafffromher

restaurantsandSmartHospitality

steppedintoo.“There’sthisfeeling

amongthefurloughedhospitality

industrythattheywanttohelp,”

saysLulu.Foodhasbeendonated

bybrandsincludingInnocentand

Fortnum & Mason too, with the

LULUDILLON

THEHOMECOOK

SUPPORTING

NHS WORKERS

chefsmakingqualitygrub.“Our

focus,”shesays,“isonnutritious,

comfortingfood:ratatouille,

chickenandcauliflowercurry...”

Cook-19’screwofvolunteersis

45-strong.Thepaparazzieven

snappedcelebritycoupleDominic

CooperandGemmaChanhelping

withdeliveries.“Itfeelsmadthe

waywe’remultiplying,butallthat’s

downtoAngela,”saysLuluhumbly.

What’smovedhermoreis the

responseofNHSworkers.“I’vehad

toputa noteonouremailstoask

themnottodonate,becausethey

kepttryingto!I seewhatwe’re

doingasa giftfrominessential

workerstotheessentialones.”

Cook-19’simpactreachesbeyond

London.“Ihadanamazingemail

thatsaid,‘You’vebeenproviding

mysonwithdeliciousmeals.I live

250 milesaway,butyouinspired

metostartbakingformylocal

hospitalsoI canlookaftersomeone

else’ssonanddaughterintheway

you’velookedaftermyson.’”

Providingthesemealsis about

morethanjustthepracticalaspects,

saysLulu.“Foodis a gestureof

love,supportandthanks.”

Cook-19welcomes donations;

cook-19.co.uk

“Iseewhatwe’re

doingasa gift

frominessential

workerstothe

essential ones”

LuluDillonhas

helpedfeed

frontlinestaff

withthehelpof

cheffriends

AngelaHartnett

and,top,Alex

Hely-Hutchinson