#FeedTheNation: Hospitality workers offer to harvest crops

Workers in bars, restaurants and cafes in St Albans who cannot work due to the coronavirus lockdown are offering their services to local farmers.

The St Albans Independent Hospitality and Retail Association has said chefs and other hospitality staff are rolling up their sleeves and offering support to farmers in Hertfordshire to help the harvest fruit and vegetable crops and keep local food supply chains operating.

See also: Coronavirus: How to find seasonal work on farms

Sean Hughes, an association representative, said: “The workers from our hospitality businesses ­– many of which are award-winning – are all experienced in safe food handling, passionate about quality and want to help.

“They have seen the plight of farmers across the nation, who urgently need vegetable and fruit pickers to ensure that their crops don’t go to waste and that the scarcity of food does not become a reality.

“Hertfordshire farmers, we are here and we are keen to do what we can to help.”

The group has reached out to the NFU and says farmers in Hertfordshire in need of help should contact Save St Albans Pubs on Facebook @savestapubs.

Yorkshire farm shop remains open

Elsewhere, the Fodder farm shop and café at the Great Yorkshire Showground has temporarily closed its café over the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the farm shop remains open to a limited number of shoppers at any one time.

Fodder farm shop © Yorkshire Agricultural Society

It is also offering food parcel collections, as well as home deliveries to those who are self-isolating.

Fodder sells produce from more than 430 local suppliers, whose profits help fund the charitable work of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

#FeedtheNation

Farmers Weekly is getting behind the #FeedtheNation campaign to back UK farmers working flat out to produce safe, affordable and reliable food to feed the nation during the coronavirus crisis.

With our partners, we are raising public awareness of this campaign by highlighting the actions farmers are taking to get food to consumers.

Join in the campaign by sharing your stories with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #FeedtheNation or email us at philip.case@markallengroup.com or telephone 020 8652 4905.