Chefs work and live away from their families to deliver 5,000 meals a day

Chefs from the catering company CaterEssence have volunteered to a live-in at the company’s central processing unit to ensure continued and uninterrupted production of meals for care homes.

A team of 20 chefs, including support staff, will live at the company’s Qormi processing unit for the next two weeks to reduce their external exposure to COVID-19 and help ensure the continued and uninterrupted production of over 5,000 meals a day distributed to 12 care homes.

CaterEssence said that these include nine care homes operated by CareMalta, which is currently undergoing a similar “live-in” initiative, which formed part of CaterEssence’s contingency plan for the coronavirus, with preparations triggered this past week.

“I know that we will get through these trying times. The only way out is to work together. My deepest gratitude goes to all our incredible team at CaterEssence who continue to serve our remaining business activities with enthusiasm and dedication throughout these challenging times,” CaterEssence CEO Alex Tranter said.

The company said that apart from the immediate introduction of very rigid sanitation procedures for all incoming stocks and daily screening of all employees, CaterEssence also shifted all its administrative office's in order to convert the area into living facilities for those will be working and staying in the kitchen for a fortnight at a time. 

On Saturday the first team involved in this initiative brought over their personal belongings before the start of their live-in on Sunday so as to enable the sanitization of all items brought in.

CaterEssence also teamed up with the Richmond Foundation to provide mental health support to those involved as was the case with those living at CareMalta homes.