Aberfeldy businesses support the vulnerable

Perthshire traders join forces to help over-70s and in-need residents who are self-isolating

A Scottish football star’s campaign to support the most at-risk people in his Highland Perthshire community has scored an army of volunteers, and more than £16,000 of crucial funding.

Food delivery service Feldy-Roo was set up for over-70s and other vulnerable people who are self-isolating in Aberfeldy.

A crowdfunding campaign was launched to support the scheme, and organisers initially hoped to make £2,000 to help deliver free hot meals around the community, seven days a week. Within three days, local families and businesses had donated more than £11,000 via a Gofundme page.

Feldy-Roo was set up by Elgin City boss Gavin Price who owns the town’s Fountain bar and restaurant.

He said: “It has been unbelievably busy. When we started this just a few days ago we made and delivered 11 meals on the first night.

“Now we are putting out 100 lunches and 100 evening meals each day.”

The Fountain, in the heart of the town, is being used as a base of operations but the campaign is being supported by several other businesses including the Watermill Bookshop, Breadalbane Bakery, Three Lemons, Chillies and the Schiehallion Hotel.

Around 30 chefs take turns cooking the meals each night, while a growing team of volunteers deliver the meals wearing gloves and masks, ensuring safe distancing at all time.

Mr Price, who was a striker for Brechin City, Den Haag and St Johnstone, said: “It has been tough going, but we are determined to keep it up and continue to help as many people as we can. Just seeing the smiles on the faces makes it all worth it.

“It has really brought the community together in an amazing way.

“I’ve never had to ask for anything, people have been coming up to me to ask what they can do to help.”

The pandemic shut down football matches across Scotland just days after Mr Price’s league two side won 3-2 against Cowdenbeath.

Feldy-Roo can be contacted on 07584 665423 and regular updates are posted on Facebook.

Meanwhile, a bakery housed in a former prisoner of war camp has moved on to a wartime footing to supply bread across parts of central Scotland.

The Wild Hearth Bakery has mobilised vans to provide a free home delivery service during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The Comrie-based business is gearing up to provide housebound residents with products which are normally on the menu in the country’s top restaurants.

Owner John Castley said: “A large part of our business has been for farmers’ markets and the hospitality industry and that has been seriously impacted.

“With restaurants closing down we are having to diversify into the home delivery market and we would urge people to support businesses like ours at this time.

“We have all seen the chaos in supermarkets and shelves being cleared of bread, but we can assure people we can produce and supply what they need.”

Wild Hearth breads and pastries have been on the menu at Scotland’s only restaurant with two Michelin stars – Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles – as well as The Peat Inn near Cupar and The Cellar at Anstruther.

John set up the sourdough bakery in the unlikely surroundings of a Nissen hut at the former Cultybraggan PoW camp in Perthshire in 2015.

The eco-sustainable artisan bakery, featuring one of the country’s largest wood-fired ovens, formerly housed Nazi prisoners during the Second World War.

After initially working in IT, John retrained as a chef at Ballymalloe Cookery School in Ireland in 2010 and worked for five years at a number of London restaurants, most notably with Theo Randall at the Intercontinental.

John’s door-to-door service aims to cover Perthshire, Fife, Stirling, Edinburgh, Dundee and Clackmannanshire and will be delivering fresh products four days a week.

Full details of delivery days and advance ordering options are on the company website at www. wildhearthbakery.com