JJ serves 1500 veggie fish and chip meals to Leeds hospital ward  

JJ Foodservice said it has donated 1500 veggie fish and chip meals to the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Ward of St James’ NHS Hospital in Leeds, since the schools closed in response to COVID-19 pandemic.

The food and drinks wholesaler, which counts many schools in its customer base, redeployed the supplies, donating 4800 veggie fish fingers, 425kgs of chips and 47kgs of mushy peas to the ward, which accommodates more than 400 adults.

Sedat Kaan Hendekli, head of operations at JJ Foodservice, said: “Senior Charge Nurse Jason Swarbrooke and his team on the unit are doing an incredible job under challenging circumstances. We were pleased we were able to do something small to help.”

Patricia Kilpatrick, director of the charity Cystic Fibrosis Care, appreciated the donation and said the home delivery service by the wholesaler would be a relied for self-isolating patients.

“It was a relief to hear that a food company like JJ Foodservices could offer vulnerable CF patients who have to self-isolate for 12 weeks during the Covid-19 lockdown a next-day free delivery service to their door,” she said.

“Now the donation to the CF Unit at St James’s in Leeds for patients on the ward is fantastic. On behalf of the CF community we would like to say a very big thank you for the service you are offering and your very kind generosity during these difficult times.”

The wholesaler has acquired more than 24,000 new household customers within three weeks of launching its next day home delivery service, which offers a contact-free delivery for orders placed by 9pm across 11 UK branches.

Last week, the business has launched a new ‘household essentials’ category featuring more than 300 grocery items for homes.

Sezer Ozkul, chief product officer for JJ, said: “Many people are still struggling to get essential groceries from the larger supermarkets.

“Our team and industry have adapted overnight to deliver food to millions of homes, including to self-isolating, vulnerable and shielding communities.”

The new range includes individually-portioned ribeye, sirloin and rump steaks, smaller pack sizes for lemons, oranges, aubergines, courgettes, potatoes and more. Other household staples include bread, milk, cheese, toilet roll and a wider range of hand soaps.

“We have worked with our suppliers to quickly adapt our offer to be even more ‘family friendly’ while fulfilling every delivery,” said Ozkul.