London-based Deliveroo has been working with restaurant partners to secure donations of free food and will make these available to NHS staff. Meals will be available wherever the company has coverage, initially focusing on London and Manchester before seeking to roll-out to other parts of the country.
Deliveroo has so far received pledges of 350,000 free meals. These donations have been led generously by Pizza Hut, who will include not just pizza but side salads, pasta and other options for NHS workers near their UK Huts. Pizza Hut and Deliveroo have already made deliveries to NHS Trusts in London and will be delivering thousands of meals this week to the NHS.
Other meal donations include substantial offers from German Doner Kebab, Itsu, Lewis Hamilton's plant-based Neat Burger restaurant and others. Pizza Hut has also donated funding to help cover the cost of deliveries.
Deliveroo aims to deliver to NHS sites where there is a need for food, whether hospitals, primary care sites or field hospitals, for example sites such as the new Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel centre. Meals will be available over time as Deliveroo works with individual hospitals to identify where need is greatest, raises funds and gives restaurants across the UK the chance to donate meals.
Funds will be raised from corporate and individual donations, with customers enabled to contribute through the app, so they can send hard-working doctors, nurses and volunteers a meal. All the money donated will be committed to covering the cost of delivery or food with any excess funding raised by Deliveroo going to the NHS.
Deliveroo will also continue to deliver free food to the vulnerable during this period.
Will Shu, CEO and founder of Deliveroo, says: "Those in the NHS working night and day to save lives are the real heroes of this crisis, and we want to do our small part to support them and the vulnerable who aren't able to leave their homes. Thanks to our dedicated riders, the generosity of our restaurant partners and their teams who are keeping kitchens open to serve those most in need, we hope to be able to make a difference. Deliveroo is a British business and, as the founder, nothing would make me more proud than to use the network we have built to support the NHS, and I know the restaurant sector wants to play its part too."
Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health, says: "The nation needs the NHS like never before, and we must support every single colleague in the NHS. I'm delighted that Deliveroo and partners are playing their part in this great national effort with half a million meals for the NHS. We can best come through this if we pull together."
Neil Manhas, General Manager of Pizza Hut UK, adds: "Pizza Hut is committed to doing what is right during these difficult times and using our 700 Huts across the UK to make a difference. That is why we have pledged 300,000 free meals to our NHS heroes over the next eight weeks in partnership with Deliveroo. We're proud of the compassion shown by our team members and franchisees and will continue to support them, our delivery network and communities across the UK during this time."
