Bella Italia, part of Casual Dining Group, has committed to providing 1,000 free meals to NHS staff serving on the frontline during the Coronavirus crisis this month.
Dedicated Bella Italia team members reopened the company’s South Kensington branch and began preparing freshly cooked pasta and pizza from its spring menu this week. The team are working with Deliveroo to provide the meals every week over the next month, as part of the delivery provider’s campaign to make 500,000 free meals for NHS workers.
The meal donations, which have received heartfelt praise from the West London NHS Trust, are the latest in a number of efforts Bella Italia has implemented to support the NHS. When the nationwide lock-down commenced, sites gave away their fresh food to the NHS, as well as elderly members of the communities they serve.
The restaurant has put a range of strict extra procedures in place to ensure the safety of all team members involved, which includes social distancing measures between staff and delivery drivers, contact-free handover of prepared meals, and regular sanitisation of the pass.
Lisa Gibbons, Brand Director at Bella Italia, commented, “This initiative, which the entire team has got behind, is indicative of our amazing team culture at Bella, something I’m immensely proud to be a part of.
'We’re delighted to contribute to this scheme and do our bit to support the NHS through these difficult and unprecedented times. As always, the safety of our team and guests is absolutely paramount, so we have taken extensive precautions and introduced new procedures and protocols to ensure that we can meet this commitment.”
Bella Italia also offers 50% off the total bill to all NHS workers and first responders, via a small number of sites that remain open for delivery via Deliveroo.