Lewis branded local hero for Empty Kitchens , Full Hearts initiative
It ’ s heart-warming when QMU students get the
recognition they deserve , and Lewis MacLachlan certainly touched the hearts of many with his selfless efforts to cater for people in need during the pandemic .
Before the COVID-19 outbreak , Lewis , a former chef , was studying towards his MSc Gastronomy at QMU , but as we moved into lockdown , he put his studies on hold to set up Empty Kitchens , Full Hearts . This volunteer-led initiative uses furloughed or redundant chefs in empty or unused kitchens , who divert surplus food from restaurants and businesses and transform it into healthy daily meal packs .
The healthy packs are then delivered to people who have been shielding , isolating or living in poverty . The initiative helps ensure that people who are most in need receive daily deliveries of healthy meals on a free , non-judgemental basis .
Lewis ’ s selfless efforts to respond to the crisis and fight food poverty where recognised by the Edinburgh Local Heroes Awards , run by the Evening News . At the online award ceremony , he was named Health Champion of the Year . However , the judges felt his efforts were worthy of the top accolade and presented him with the Local Hero Award .
To date , Lewis ’ s Empty Kitchens , Full Hearts initiative has provided over 500,000 meals to people all over Edinburgh on a non-judgmental and non-profit basis . ❒
Supporting the local community
The issue of where to buy flour and toilet rolls
was a hot topic on community social media sites during lockdown . When supermarket shelves were bare , the local community could always rely on BaxterStorey , catering services partner at QMU , to provide essentials for students and local residents . At one point , Maggie ’ s Bar and Café at QMU ’ s Students ’ Union , was almost the only place in Musselburgh where locals could lay their hands on self-raising flour !
But staff from BaxterStorey didn ’ t just look after the catering needs of the immediate QMU community , the team worked tirelessly supporting various charities and community groups during the most challenging of times . Along with the Students ’ Union , ResLife and the University ’ s UCU branch , they put together over a hundred wellbeing packs for students in University accommodation . They also supported the social enterprise Empty Kitchens , Full Hearts , to provide over 1000 packs of soup for people in need . One of the BaxterStorey chefs covered shifts in the kitchens of a local residential home , while the company ’ s manager collaborated with Resilient Musselburgh to help create access to essential provisions for those who required urgent assistance . ❒
Sweet surprise for NHS staff
Across the UK , people gained a newfound respect for our NHS .
As a nation we were desperate to thank them for their efforts and support their resilience as essential frontline workers in the battle to save lives .
To show her gratitude , one International Management and Leadership graduate was instrumental in securing a donation of 60,000 sweet treats for frontline healthcare staff .
Tina Cunningham , Community Support Director for Border Biscuits , arranged for the gifting of several thousands of boxes of the company ' s biscuits to NHS staff in the Lanarkshire and Lothian regions .
Richard Bent , Senior Lecturer at QMU ' s Business School , contacted his former student with the idea of supplying a staff hub at St John ' s Hospital in West Lothian with boxes of their signature product . From there , the initiative quickly escalated , with the company donating biscuits to several different healthcare providers through its Border Community Support Foundation . ❒
Boxes of Border Biscuits ready for distribution
8 QMYOU / Responding to the Pandemic