A rural tavern in the heart of Manawatū has been cooking up a storm this lockdown, keeping essential workers and vulnerable people in their community well-fed.
Āpiti Tavern and Eatery , north east of Palmerston North, prepare upwards of 100 meals a day for those in need.
"So far, we're cooking for local kaumātua and the elderly, vaccine facilities, testing stations, the police and St John as well," chef Grant Kitchen said.
"Within our bubble, we can handle that just ourselves. So, it's a nice and easy number to get out," tavern owner Jon James added.
Their local community's been getting behind the initiative, too, donating food and funds to keep them running.
"It's been huge," said James.
"We've had people phoning up just offering donations to contribute to us keeping it going. We've probably taken in about $4000 in donations."
But it's not about getting praise for the duo, with Kitchen saying it all comes down to the smile on the faces of those they're helping.
"For us, it's also just about valuing all the people who are doing all the hard work, doing the hard yards," he said.
"It wasn't about the accolades; it was all about looking after the community. To be honest with you, I'm super stoked how the community's got around it."
Cooking in bulk a few times a week, the meals are packaged up and delivered around the Manawatū-Whanganui region, stretching from Feilding to Palmerston North.
And there are no plans to slow down either, with James says he wants to keep going as long as possible.
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