Metallica's Yorkshire catering company helping to feed vulnerable communities

Production Park, a West Yorkshire community of studios, businesses and educational facilities for the live events industry, launched the Catering for the Community initiative earlier this month.

So far it has delivered over 3,000 prepared meals and more than 4,000 portions of meat for food parcels to food banks and community hubs across the south east of the Wakefield district, feeding vulnerable families in Havercroft, Upton, South Kirkby and Kinsley.

Every meal is cooked, packaged and labelled by park residents Rockpool Tour Catering, a specialist live events catering company with clients including Muse, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Metallica.

Meals are then distributed, with support from fellow park residents Backstage Academy to collection points across the region identified by Wakefield Council as areas in need.

Production Park founder, Adrian Brooks said: "At the turn of the year, the Production Park community made the pledge to help those in need in our local area access healthy and nutritious meals.

"Initially, our focus was on school children; however, when Covid hit we changed the scope of the project to provide hot meals for those in need of all ages, young and old.”

So far, the menu has included italian meatballs, vegetable tagine, pumpkin and pulse curry, cottage pie and lasagne, all prepared in a Covid-secure kitchen using ingredients donated by local suppliers including Aldi and Dovecote Park.

Rockpool Managing Director Pete Bailey said: “Rockpool Tour Catering has embraced the Yorkshire way of life after moving our operation here three years ago. We feel privileged to be able to contribute our facilities and amazing staff to provide meals to those who need it most in these unprecedented times,” Bailey said.

“Looking ahead, we are working with the Council to provide workshops for the local children to teach them the basics of cooking as well as and providing meals for activity camps over

the summer holidays.”