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Essential Cuisine have donated over one thousand litres of stock to Cafe Manager, Steve Illidge, who has been delivering soups to medical staff at Warrington Halton NHS trust throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Steve’s cafe (Hope Cafe in Runcorn) had to close its doors during the pandemic, he immediately thought about how he could help the NHS during the crisis. Within 24 hours and with the help of generous donations, he initiated the “souper hero” programme, whereby he began utilising his kitchen facilities to produce quality, nutritious soups that could be heated in minutes to sustain NHS teams on the front line, ensuring they looked after themselves, both physically and mentally.

Steve Illidge and his team prep and deliver over 50 soups a day to the staff at Warrington and Halton Hospital. The staff are always so grateful for the donations, as the fresh soups offer a much needed boost of energy and morale.

Essential Cuisine General Manager, Heather Wilde stated, “We are so proud to support such a wonderful, local cause. We hope that our product donation will make Steve’s life a little easier in the kitchen, eliminating sensitive areas of food safety and declarable allergens whilst retaining all the attributes a kitchen-made stock should. People like Steve are making such a valuable difference and we are delighted to be able to help."

Would you like to be a souper hero? Click here to find out more.

Find out more about Essential Cuisine’s range here.