Duke of Kent and St Mungo's chief executive Charles Fraser

Contractor Caterplus offers food fit for royalty

25th February 2010, 4:14pm

Chefs from contractor Caterplus cooked for a guest with a difference, when the Duke of Kent dropped in for lunch at St Mungo's Hostel in Hackney, London.

Area manager Freddy Quartey and a team of Caterplus staff prepared a three-course lunch for the Duke when he visited homelessness charity St Mungo's newly-refurbished 60-bed hostel in the East End.

It was His Royal Highness's first visit to a St Mungo's hostel since becoming the charity's patron last year during its 40th anniversary year.

As well as being given a taste of the services Caterplus provides at the charity's hostels, the Duke also spent time talking to residents and staff at the hostel, which houses 60 people in 45 en-suite rooms and 15 self-contained flats, to find out more about the obstacles homeless and vulnerable people face on their recovery journey.

Jim Lovett, managing director of Caterplus, says: "We have been catering for St Mungo's residents for 12 years and always aim to provide the best catering service we possibly can for the charity's residents.

"It was fantastic for the team to give His Royal Highness a flavour of the hard work that goes into the work we do with St Mungo's."

The Duke said: "Mare Street is a shining example of what can be done to support people to find their way back from troubled experiences to lives that are active and fulfilling. Projects like Mare Street are vital in assisting homeless people find a place to live as well as an occupation that they can be proud of."

Charles Fraser, chief executive of St Mungo's, said: "It was a pleasure to welcome His Royal Highness to Mare Street on his first official visit to a hostel as our Royal Patron. His support for our work is greatly appreciated."

Established in 1969, St Mungo's has been helping rough sleepers and homeless people in the capital for 40 years. In the last year its outreach teams helped almost 450 people off the streets; provided accommodation for more than 1,400 homeless people every night; and supported over 1,000 clients with mental health and substance use needs.

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