Hospice’s award-winning café offers new meals service

A hospice’s award winning café is going mobile with a new food delivery service after the effects of COVID-19 forced them to close their doors to the public.

The inspiration for the mobile enterprise Meals Matter came from Wrexham-based Nightingale House Hospice’s Head Chef Peter Jackson, who has cooked for both Her Majesty The Queen and the Emperor of Japan. He and his team run the award-winning Caffi Cwtch on Chester Road.

It was an idea the chef and his team were already exploring for patients and their families before the lockdown began and now they have adapted their plans since the Government ordered eateries to close but have allowed takeaway services to remain. 

The new delivery service is available to those living within Wrexham County Borough, and collection for all other customers.

The hospice has been looking at other ways to keep their finances afloat during this difficult time.   The majority of their running costs are met through fundraising and other channels of income generation that includes its on-site café, which makes a significant contribution towards maintaining services for those with life-limiting illnesses within palliative care.

Caffi Cwtch is well used by in-patients and Day Service patients during normal business, as well as a place for family and friends to gather. Its popularity as one of the top places to eat was recognised last year when it became the winner of The Welsh Café Awards 2019.

Nightingale House Hospice’s Head Chef Peter Jackson said: “Our kitchen remains operational in order for us to feed our in-patients. It seemed sensible to utilise it for an alternative way of providing good quality food at affordable prices like we would in a café setting but by becoming mobile.

“We have been working on the Meals Matter concept for some time to offer it to our patients and their families but in these difficult times we are offering this service to everyone.

“We talked about the idea and felt for those regulars who will no longer be able to pop in and see us, or for those who may benefit from a home delivery service of food they can either heat up or freeze. We thought about how we could strike a compromise and still bring in vital funds to keep the hospice running.”

100% of the proceeds will go to Nightingale House hospice.

Delivery of the meals is free with a minimum order of £5 (via card payments) but donations to the hospice would be greatly appreciated to help the hospice to bring in much-needed revenue at this difficult time.  The meals are also available for collection from Caffi Cwtch, Chester Road, Wrexham LL11 2SJ by prior arrangement.

Placing an order is easy, just choose your meal, call Meals Matter  on 01978 316800 and pay by card - Monday to Friday between 10am and 5pm.