“The impact of Brexit was looming and then Covid-19 arrived. But thankfully everybody started to shop local and support businesses in the area, which was fantastic.

I think lots of people felt alone during lockdown. It was interesting to see people coming into the deli, really wanting to chat and feel like a part of the local area. Having such a nice community-based hub of shops was a great thing for our area and the people in it.

Me and my mate - the chef Christian Bourne - started an initiative called @nhsmeals. We just wanted to help out in some way. We cooked for three hospitals, as well as for district nurses and two homeless charities. On average we’d make 1,500 meals per week. It was an amazing feeling and we knew we were really lucky to be able to provide that service.

The sense of community and the vibe of caring for others during this crisis is genuinely the best thing I’ve ever felt. I can only talk about our local community, but I think it was the same for others, too. It’s great to have that sense of pride in who you are, in where you live, and in how we came together as a community to help one another.

People caring for other people is just amazing! ❤️”