I moved from serving teas and coffees to helping with the lunch service - chef Andrew had made a delicious bolognese pasta bake. There was a vegetarian option and both were served with salad. Dessert was fruit crumble and custard. Andrew got lots of compliments including from me as I sampled a portion - and got the recipe from him! There was a constant flow of clients joining us for lunch so the kitchen crew were kept busy. It was nice to get lots of ‘welcome back’ from the regular clients and makes me realise how much I enjoy volunteering at ESK.

It was great to be back at ESK this morning after a long break - I started the day at the tea and coffee station. There was a great demand for cereal today - Rice Krispies were especially popular. The cold weather meant that the guests needed warming up with hot drinks and we refilled the tea and coffee pots several times.

Friday Hub and a wet day!!When I Steph Ducat arrived, James was already at the church to help - We are early birds. Then Chandrima turned up all the way from Tower Hamlets. Then Chandrima asked about someone famous : who was famous ? Was it James as 007, Anthony Kelly the mayor of Ealing who was present today, Sonna(our volunteer singer) or someone else? She said are you the famous Steph? Then understood when explained and yes it was Steph who goes to different areas and does alot of exercises as her fellow goodgymers at Camden mentionned!! We are all famous in the volunteering world!!Apart from that James was helping with the grocery bags, Chandrima wrote the menu on the board and helped set up in the dinning area, whilst Steph Ducat was in the kitchen assisting the other chefs prepare todays food.

The 3 musketeers of the morning stayed on to serve food and hand out grocery bags. James handed out grocery bags, that he prepared with fellow volunteers earlier in the day. Chandrima was serving food and drinks in the dinning area whilstSteph Ducat was plating the food he cooked with the other chefs.

The chicken casserole with the puree and green beans was a success and the plates were empty and not much waste today!!This recipe is so good it should be illegal—fowl play at its finest. The ravioli was also served but not many vegetarian requests today.

Dessert : walnut brownies can't disappoint but the plum compote you either love it or hate. The kitchen and dining area calmed down : the clearing and cleaning started as a lot of pots, pans, plates and cluttery to deal with.

Another great day at ESK

Fundraising event until 10:30pm with music, drinks, food, raffle tickets with the presence of the Mayor of Ealing Anthony Kelly and his wife Maria Kelly. Food went out swiftly to all the tables and the guests enjoy the following food.

Starters : Pear, Rocket and Pomegranate Salad or Hearty Pumpkin & Butter Bean Soup with Croutons

Mains : Succulent Roast Chicken Quarter or Baked Salmon Fillet or Roasted Stuffed Peppers with Savoury Seed Crumb All mains served with new potatoes, garlic french beans and a rich vegan gravy

Desserts : Creme caramel or Coconut Yogurt & Golden Granola

The food went down like a treat and the staff also enjoyed the food we cooked.

After the party was over it was time to clean and pack.

This was not the usual Ealing Soup Kitchen shifts. Once the Friday Hub was over, I was part of a massive team to prep for the Fundraising event in the evening where the Mayor and his wife would be attending. I was in the kitchen with other chefs to get the starters, mains and desserts ready for the evening. Great food prepared with choice of 2 starters, 3 mains and 2 desserts. The clock was ticking for all of us, but all was under control and we were ready for the dinner party.A lot of chopping, cooking, cleaning pots and mise en place