Lincoln Russet responds to Covid-19

NHS we’ve got you #meals #grassfed # beef #happytummy #support #local #community #Lincolnshire

This came up in my Instagram feed, and I felt moved to find out more. 

When the restaurants were all forced to close their doors at the end of March, Amy Jobe – a fourth generation Lincolnshire beef farmer from Elkington near Louth – suddenly found herself with 3 months worth of beef with no-where to go.

So this is where we suddenly found ourselves: a five star hygiene rated kitchen; a load of exceptional quality beef; and a woman who can cook! An NHS where staff work long shifts, putting themselves and their families personally at risk to look after our friends, our family, our neighbours. 

“The meals came about because I can.” 

Amy Jobe

Amy was quick to make the connections. A friend’s Mum worked at Louth hospital. The following day, her colleagues were able to take home a cottage pie for their tea after their hospital shift – freshly home-made with top quality, grassfed, local beef. A time-saving, belly-filling, heart-warming Thank You!

Food connections

It’s not an easy option. Amy is a mum, home-educating two children, while working on the farm and spending many hours delivering meat boxes. (By the way, you can contact Amy if you’re interested in getting a local meat box from Lincoln Russet: they’re also available further afield with a local courier.) 

But Amy reflects: “Everyone is in a pickle. If everyone does a little bit, it makes a difference.” 

I guess most of us have never cooked a cow and a half at the end of a busy day, but when someone starts a thing like this, it instantly creates more possibilities for others to help in their own way. 

For example, Amy has also been donating beef to the Serendipity initiative in Louth, which is a local response to the pandemic, driven by community, compassion and a can-do approach: Paul Hugill from the Priory Hotel in Louth has repurposed the restaurant kitchen to provide two nourishing and delicious meals a day to local people who are struggling to feed themselves or their families. 

For some its age, or isolation, vulnerability due to mental health or financial pressure, for whatever reason we stand together and look after each other as neighbours.

Paul Hugill, Serendipity Initiative

The Serendipity Initiative at The Priory Hotel is also working as a redistribution centre sharing food donations with a number of food banks and community feeding programs.

If you feel you can help – whether you are a larger company or an individual, please get in touch with Paul, or donate money.

If you’d like to get involved in the Serendipity project to feed local people, email paul@serendipityinitiative.co.uk or call 01507 602930

If you live in Louth and you are struggling to feed yourself or your family, you can call 01507 602930 to request hearty food, delivered twice a day FOR FREE.

The Priory will need your name, address and any dietary restrictions that affect your health.

“We are all in this together and we want to make sure you get nutritious food every day.”

Paul Hugill, Serendipity Initiative