Vital Meals
1453. Ayesha Pakravan-Ovey
Ayesha Pakravan-Ovey, from London, launched ‘Vital Meals’ in lockdown, which runs a ‘Parcel to Plate’ service to collect food parcels from front doors and transform them into fresh, home-cooked meals.
Ayesha is a chef and founder of ‘The Plattery’ catering service in London who set up ‘Vital Meals’ as a way of helping vulnerable people to still access nutritious food, for free, during the pandemic. Over 11,000 healthy meals have now been cooked and delivered to people isolating at home across the capital.
In a personal letter to Ayesha, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I am lost in admiration for the way you have collected thousands of food parcels from front doors and turned them into wonderful home-cooked meals for those who have had to isolate at home across the capital.
“Vital Meals embodies the community spirit which has united and uplifted our nation throughout this battle with Coronavirus.
“So on behalf of the whole country, and especially all those who have been nourished by your brilliant “Parcel to Plate” service, thank you!”
Ayesha said:
“Receiving this award has left me truly speechless. It fills me with pride that something that started as a small project in March has grown into something to be formally recognised by our Prime Minister just five months later. I am honoured to have been in the position to have helped feed as many people as we have, and I am so proud of my incredible team of volunteers who have been by my side every step of the way. ‘Vital Meals’ has grown from 10 meals a week to 1,000 meals+ and as we start to solidify the service long term and launch our new cookery classes for children, I am now more motivated than ever to be here for every Londoner who needs us.”
Pictured below: some of Ayesha’s vital meals
