Coronavirus: Frozen airline food mountain to feed those in need

These meals should have been served at 30,000 ft rather than across Greater Manchester

More than a million airline meals are to be given away to disadvantaged people across Greater Manchester.

A frozen food mountain had been growing at a storage site near Manchester Airport because of the collapse in air travel during the coronavirus outbreak.

But 1.1m meals have now been saved by not-for-profit group Open Kitchen MCR.

“It’s essential we find safe ways to get not just enough food, but good food to people who need it,” said the social enterprise's founder Corin Bell.

Open Kitchen MCR, which normally intercepts food waste and turns it in to food for events, is now cooking and delivering up to 10,000 meals a week.

'Poverty line'

“Before the coronavirus hit, there were 400,000 people that were estimated to be in food poverty in Manchester alone,” said Mr Bell.

“A lot of the usual routes to access food for people in poverty are not available now that Covid-19 has hit."

Those benefiting from Open Kitchen’s efforts include the street homeless, people temporarily housed in hotel accommodation, those in self-isolation with underlying health conditions, and people living below the poverty line.

The meals will be transported to Lineage Logistics in Heywood, where they will be stored before being distributed to those most in need.

Open Kitchen MCR is working with Manchester City Council to co-ordinate food provision for those in need across the city.

The meals were being stored near Manchester Airport

• A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?

• AVOIDING CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exercise

• WHAT WE DON'T KNOW How to understand the death toll

• TESTING: Can I get tested for coronavirus?

• LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area