A YOUNG chef back home while the top London restaurant where he works is shut has been busy cooking for NHS heroes.

Rich Henderson, who hails from Yelverton, has been back living with his parents during the coronavirus pandemic after boss Tom Aikens had to temporarily close his restaurant Muse.

But not one to let the grass grow under his feet, Rich, 26, has been leading a team of chefs cooking homemade microwaveable meals for NHS workers, using the kitchens at City College Plymouth.

A small team of local chefs have been working alongside him, including Peter Gorton, long-time proprietor of the Horn of Plenty near Tavistock and a dinner lady on furlough from her school job. They went live on Tuesday last week, delivering 60 meals a day for paramedics based at the ambulance station beside Derriford Hospital as well as a handful of doctors who are having to stay away from their families while working at Derriford. Local fruit and vegetable suppliers Tamar Fresh provided all the ingredients for the first meals and a number of cooks and chefs took part.

‘We have included personal messages from the chefs that are cooking the meals, which we’ve put on the top of the boxes,’ said Rich.

‘I think everyone has something to say thank you to the NHS for. And the paramedics have been so grateful. When I arrived on the second day they all swarmed over asking me what I’d got!

He said his scheme, organised with charity Food4Heroes, needed more funding to continue beyond this week. Contact [email protected] if you can help.