'Foodie destination' Padstow gets its first food bank

Project manager Jacqui White said there had been a 75% increase in referrals from the Padstow area in the past year

Popular tourist destination and high-end restaurant hotspot Padstow, in Cornwall, now has a food bank.

Wadebridge Foodbank said it had set up the satellite operation after a 75% increase in referrals from the Padstow area in the past year.

Visit Cornwall calls Padstow a "foodie destination" with "celebrity chefs" such as Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth.

The food bank is open on Tuesdays at the Padstow Town Council offices in Station Road from 09:15 to 13:00 GMT.

Project manager Jacqui White said local people in seasonal work were being squeezed by high rents and low incomes.

"People have a misconception that everyone in Padstow has a lot of money," she said.

"But a lot of people are struggling and we want to be there for them.

"This is for the local residents working in seasonal jobs, on low incomes and paying high rents.

"We want to get something local to them because it may be difficult for people to travel to Wadebridge to access support."

About 28% of houses in the area are second homes, according to Cornwall Council.

Padstow Mayor James O'Keefe said the food bank was a "big step forward" for the community "especially with the current financial situation a lot of people are finding themselves in".

Referrals can be obtained through professional services such as doctors, schools and Cornwall Council.