A HOTEL is serving up a treat for a local charity by handing out 100 free meals a week.

Head chef Wayne Hawkins from the Roslin Hotel, in Eastern Esplanade, Thorpe Bay, is cooking up the meals for low-income families.

The families are being supported by the the Storehouse project, which has been going for 13 years, but has been based in Coleman Street, Southend, since the end of 2008.

The project is run by the Vineyard Church. It has 2,000 registered clients and gives out 400 food bags a week.

Once the meals are cooked they are then packaged up using £3,000 of equipment, also given by the hotel. The food mainly consists of chilli and rice or vegetable pasta dishes.

Storehouse Project manager Simon Matthews said the free meal deal was set up after meeting the owner of the Roslin Hotel, Nick Gould.

Mr Matthews said: “He agreed to give us cooked food for up to 100 meals a week and the equipment to package it.

“We are extremely grateful for the work the team does for us, and we’re looking forward to working with them again in the future.”

The food arrives in the morning to be packaged by Storehouse volunteers.

It is then handed out at about 11.30am. Due to its popularity the food is normally gone within half an hour.

Hotel managing director Jacqui Harris said: “Wayne, Nick, I and others do like to get involved in local issues, and this was an ideal way for us to give something back to the community.

“I will be working there soon just to see the whole process and help out.

“We will also be providing Christmas dinners as well.