Exeter Chiefs Foundation and city food charity set to serve 3,000th festive meal

Hundreds of people will enjoy a little extra holiday cheer this year, as staff from a local food charity prepare to dish out festive fayre funded by generous Exeter Chiefs supporters.

For the third year running, Exeter Food Action (EFA) has teamed up with the Exeter Chiefs Foundation to help those who otherwise might struggle to afford a traditional Christmas lunch.

By Boxing Day, EFA and the Foundation will have fed more than 3,000 people in and around the city since forming their partnership in 2022.

Since then, the rugby club charity has donated around £30,000 to pay for traditional ingredients such as potatoes, carrots and parsnips as well as some tasty treats including chocolates and mince pies.

Exeter Chiefs Foundation Chairman, Tony Rowe CBE, said: “This is now becoming something of a tradition for the two charities. We first joined forces three years ago when my trustees and I wanted to do something to help ease the cost of living crisis that so many people have been contending with.

“Exeter Food Action did a brilliant job that first year and we all found the project incredibly rewarding. So much so that we are now in our third year and looking forward to once again making sure that people experiencing hard times can enjoy a festive feast!”

“I want to say a huge thank you to Exeter Food Action. They do an amazing job throughout the year but especially so at Christmas.

“I’d also like to thank the people who support the Foundation with donations and their time for helping to make this happen”

EFA takes delivery of excess food from shops and suppliers, and redistributes it to organisations that support people in need in Devon.

However, because donations are unpredictable and arrive at short notice it has traditionally been impossible to cater for Christmas lunches.

The money provided by the Chiefs charity enables the EFA team to plan ahead and ensure there are enough fresh supplies in store to distribute ahead of the big day.

Celebrity chef Michael Caines MBE has been helping to coordinate the project.

Michael, who is also a trustee of the Foundation, said: “Most of us take our turkey and trimmings on Christmas Day for granted but some people are not that lucky. Knowing that food will be on the table for hundreds of people who would have otherwise gone without is truly humbling.

“The Foundation is a charity that exists only to support other charities and this is a prime example of that. I’d like to say as special thank you to

Seth Ward and his team at Bidfood for helping us with the catering requirements.”

EFA volunteer co-ordinator Wendy Kearns oversaw the project this year.

She said: “We have had some incredible feedback already from many of the charities and organisations we will be supporting. One lady was in tears when I told her we would be supplying some chocolate treats along with the usual ingredients.”

Four Exeter Chiefs star players visited EFA to help as deliveries arrived in the run up to Christmas including Jacques Vermeulen, Edel McMahon, Linde van der Velden and Jack Yeandle.

Jacques said: “What these guys do is brilliant. It is such a fabulous community initiative, and I have been blown away by the hard work and planning that goes into this Christmas campaign.”