As London was plunged into Tier 3 this week, giving the hospitality industry just two days’ notice to prepare for closure, Gaucho and M restaurants organised two charity initiatives with their long-term partner Only A Pavement Away as well as City Harvest in order to avoid food waste and support vulnerable people during the festive period.

Following the recent government announcement that London restaurants would be temporarily pausing operations as the city moves into Tier 3, Gaucho and M arranged to take part in Only A Pavement Away’s Hospitality Against Homelessness campaign, which was set up after the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. The campaign aims to bring together the hospitality industry in a focused effort to provide immediate support to homeless people across London which includes fellow hospitality industry colleagues in crisis with meals, kitchen facilities or equipment and accommodation.

As part of their involvement in the campaign, Gaucho and M are committing to providing:

• 100 hot meals per day – to London’s rough sleepers distributed by Under One Sky’s street teams as well as to Westminster Monday 21st December for the festive fortnight.
• Festive Indoor meals – steak, roast and sides – to homeless people across London on 24th, 28th and 31st
• Volunteer food –Gaucho’s Meat & Bun burger menu, fruit, croissants and water – for Crisis Homeless Charity volunteers (logistics, warehouse and call centre) in Poplar, who will be working so hard to ensure London’s homeless are looked after during this crisis, on 21st, 22nd and 23rd

Gaucho and M Restaurants have also arranged for the food from eight of their London venues to be redistributed by City Harvest – London’s leading redistributor of surplus food – who collected all their excess food stock on Wednesday. City Harvest will help feed some of the city’s most vulnerable people during the festive period, as well as diverting food from landfill where it would release climate changing greenhouse gases. City Harvest regularly deliver high quality, nourishing food to organisations that provide meals to vulnerable people including homeless shelters, soup kitchens, children’s programs, centres for the elderly, and refuges for women experiencing domestic violence.

Gaucho and M CEO, Martin Williams states “We are delighted to work with our partners to minimise our food wastage and more importantly to help those in need of support at this time of year. Sadly many in hospitality are amongst those on the streets, so it is a poignant gesture, which we encourage other restaurants to follow”.

Gaucho’s restaurants in Richmond, Canary Wharf, Sloane Avenue and Hampstead will remain open for delivery and collection via their website and Deliveroo as well as Richmond Xmas festive village remains open for grab and go drinks and food https://gauchorestaurants.com/delivery-and-collection/.