Edinburgh hotel gives bread, buns, bacon, sausages and ices to RBS foodbank appeal

Donations arrive at bank headquarters

Four cages of food from the hotel freezer were donated to the RBS foodbank appeal

A CITY-CENTRE hotel has emptied its freezer of bread, buns, pastries, meat and ice creams to give to the Royal Bank of Scotland foodbank appeal.

The Doubletree by Hilton in Bread Street handed over the stocks it can no longer use so it can be channelled to some of the most vulnerable people during the cornavirus pandemic.

RBS launched the appeal last week, working with food poverty charities the Trussell Trust and Social Bite and backed by the Evening News and Scotsman.

The bank has turned part of its Gogarburn headquarters into a foodbank distribution centre to collect the donations.

Businesses are being asked to give food and hygiene products to help individuals and families who might otherwise go without.

Marcello Ventisei, the hotel’s general manager, said: “In the hotel we have a fairly substantial walk-in freezer and it’s full of frozen produce.

“We have closed the hotel as you would expect because of the virus, so rather than leave it in the freezer, especially since none of us know how long this may last, we thought it would be a good idea to give it to someone who could make use of it - so that’s what we are doing.

“We’re very happy to do that and very happy to support this campaign.

“I hope that the food is well used and helps people who need it during this difficult time for everyone.”

When it was loaded up, the food from the freezer filled four large wire cages.

The donation included:12kgs bacon3kgs sausages10 kgs haggis450 potato scones25 kilos of fries and sweet potato friestwo boxes of loaves of breadvarious boxes of burger buns and rolls120 sconessix boxes of croissants and mini pastriesvarious mixture of ice creams and sorbets

There were also 600 Doubletree cookies which are usually given to guests on their arrival as part of the hotel’s welcome.

The RBS collection and distribution centre, based in the conference centre at its Gogarburn campus, is being staffed by volunteers from the bank and is open from 7am to 7pm seven days a week.

The food donated is divided between Social Bite and the Trussell Trust’s network of foodbanks across the country.

To contact RBS about dropping off donations, you can email facilties manager Douglas Bain at [email protected]

Donations can be made to the Trussell Trust here: https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/

And Social Bite has a JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joshua-littlejohn