Feeding the city

Our very own Head Pastry Chef Brian Roberts volunteers with HOPING Street Kitchen every week, and we caught up with him to find out more.

Brian started helping HOPING (Helping Other People in Need Group) Street Kitchen after an encounter with a homeless man on his way to work. Since offering him and his dog spare food from the hotel’s kitchen instead of money, Brian now bakes and cooks on his days off to help the city’s homeless community.

“I met a guy who’s been on the streets for five years and just found out he’s got terminal cancer” said Brian, “That really makes it hit home, when you think it can’t get any worse. I’m not in a position by any means where I can go out and splash out, but I feel I’m lucky to have a roof over my head.”

Brian praises the efforts of all the volunteers and said he’d been surprised at the number of people who had come to rely on the food bank and street kitchen.

“I’ve been doing this for several months now. I’ve lived in York for 25 years and going round town I honestly think the homeless situation is getting worse, and that’s why I wanted to do something to help. What I do is such a small part of the HOPING Street Kitchen, but I’m proud to be part of the team – even though my part is minimal”.

If you’d like to find out more about HOPING Street Kitchen or how to get involved, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.