Visiting The Felix Project - behind the scenes
We got a chance to go behind the scenes and see exactly how the amazing team at The Felix Project operate and deliver to people, charities and schools in need around London.
Following the journey of our rice, we got to see exactly where our rice donations go.
Where The Felix Project is based
Tucked away on an industrial estate in Poplar, you will find one of the four depots that The Felix Project run. From here they not only redistribute food, they also produce thousands of meals that go to those that need it. Other depot locations include: Deptford, Enfield and Park Royal. Like many charities, they rely heavily on donations and volunteers and Tilda. alongside many other household brands. This could be on ad hoc basis or as and when good food could have a better use than going to waste!
We met with Sara Walsh, Supply Coordinator at The Felix Project, who took us on a tour through the Poplar site. She informed us that this mix of known reoccurring items alongside the ad-hoc deliveries they receive, means that the chefs in the Felix Kitchen on site are always kept on their toes.
Witnessing the magic in action!
As you enter the warehouse space, you are greeted with pallets of rice, dried goods and vegetables, which are all sorted and placed into chillers to ensure they remain fresh. Some perishable items will also be prepped and placed into the freezer for later use, to ensure again that nothing goes to waste.
A team of volunteers work throughout the day, they ensure the incoming goods are sorted and checked before being sent off to other charities who might need some of the supplies, or sent off to the other depots that The Felix Project have to ensure goods are circulating to where they are needed most.
Food set to become ingredients for the days meals will make their way fresh into the prep room where a fleet of volunteers are talking amongst themselves, working across large open tables doing all of the prep work, whether chopping carrots, peeling potatoes or cooking Tilda Rice. These volunteers will work in shifts, either AM or PM and spend their time either helping with the prep or packing the finished nutritious and delicious meals, ready to be sent out across the capital.
Life in the Kitchen
Whether frozen, chilled or freshly prepped by the volunteers, ingredients make their way into the kitchen and into the hands of the highly skilled chefs, who based on the available ingredients will come up with a delectable range of hot dinners in high quantities. Spiced chicken and curry sauce with rice was on the menu this day.
As you walk into the kitchen space you are greeted by aromas you’d expect in a high-quality fine dining restaurant, with rows of industrial ovens, pots boiling away and organised workstations laid out to accommodate the dishes being prepared on that day.
Once the meals are ready, they are portioned into microwavable containers, labelled with the dishes name (whether it be a curry or Gyoza dumplings), ingredients and the allergy information and then sorted into crates. The first ingredient was ‘compassion’ which was a nice touch. Those crates are distributed using Felix vans to hundreds of charities each day. Given the types of people The Felix Project support, meals created not only vary based on the ingredients available but will lean heavily into vegetarian dishes. These are healthy, easier to produce at scale, carry less risk but also can accommodate the various eating preferences of those on the receiving end, whether that be for dietary or religious reasons.
We’re proud Partners!
As we left, it was hard not to be impressed and in awe of what the team and volunteers at The Felix Project do on a daily basis and what they can produce. While it was great to see the Tilda rice that had been donated go to good use, it was rewarding to witness we were helping this team do greater good for the community around them.
Thinking about giving up some of your free time to help the team at The Felix Project? You can check out how to volunteer here. It’s not just individuals who volunteer but also companies who organise team days out for staff to give back to the community. Why not organise it with friends or family as well?
