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We're the Hairy Bikers, | 0:00:02 | 0:00:04 | |
and we made our name cooking real food for real people. | 0:00:04 | 0:00:07 | |
You're nibbling on it already! | 0:00:07 | 0:00:09 | |
Now, we're riding to the rescue of | 0:00:09 | 0:00:12 | |
one of our great national culinary treasures, Meals On Wheels. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:16 | |
Hello! | 0:00:16 | 0:00:18 | |
Oh, hello! | 0:00:18 | 0:00:19 | |
Hot, tasty food delivered with a smile and a chat to our older people | 0:00:19 | 0:00:23 | |
to keep them healthy, happy and independent. | 0:00:23 | 0:00:27 | |
A nice bit of hake and some nice bread and butter, | 0:00:27 | 0:00:30 | |
you've got a feast for a king. | 0:00:30 | 0:00:32 | |
At its height, this volunteer-backed lifeline delivered | 0:00:32 | 0:00:35 | |
more than 34 million meals every year. | 0:00:35 | 0:00:39 | |
We all assume it's going to be there for our grandparents, | 0:00:39 | 0:00:42 | |
for our parents and us, but will it? | 0:00:42 | 0:00:46 | |
Over the last eight years, the number of Meals On Wheels delivered nationwide | 0:00:46 | 0:00:50 | |
has plummeted by over a third. | 0:00:50 | 0:00:52 | |
I lie in bed at night, wondering what I'll do the next day. No Meals On Wheels in this town. | 0:00:52 | 0:00:57 | |
In many areas, daily hot deliveries have been abandoned | 0:00:57 | 0:01:00 | |
in favour of microwaveable frozen meals - | 0:01:00 | 0:01:03 | |
not all of which, we think, are tasty. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:06 | |
-Bloody hell. Do you know what that tasted like? -What? | 0:01:06 | 0:01:09 | |
-A polystyrene tile. -It does, doesn't it? -It does. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:11 | |
But, unappetising food is just the tip of the iceberg. | 0:01:11 | 0:01:14 | |
Meals On Wheels is in desperate need of a new generation of volunteers | 0:01:17 | 0:01:20 | |
to keep it running. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:21 | |
It's seeing a face, you know. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:23 | |
The days get very long when you're on your own. | 0:01:23 | 0:01:26 | |
In this series, we want to revitalise the service | 0:01:26 | 0:01:28 | |
so it truly delivers what our grans and grandads deserve. | 0:01:28 | 0:01:33 | |
Shepherd's pie as it should be shepherd's pie. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:36 | |
And we'll stop at nothing to rally support. | 0:01:37 | 0:01:40 | |
SCREAMING | 0:01:40 | 0:01:42 | |
From the man on the street to royalty. | 0:01:42 | 0:01:45 | |
What would everybody do without the volunteers? | 0:01:45 | 0:01:48 | |
-The more, the merrier. -The more, the merrier. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:50 | |
We need to enlist a whole army of new meals-on-wheels recruits. | 0:01:50 | 0:01:54 | |
Sign up! Feed the elderly! | 0:01:54 | 0:01:57 | |
And bring back great fresh menus. | 0:01:57 | 0:01:59 | |
If we can't deliver these Meals On Wheels once a week | 0:01:59 | 0:02:02 | |
for the rest of our lives, then it'll be a poor do. | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
Our aim is to transform Meals On Wheels and its image into a lean, mean catering machine, | 0:02:05 | 0:02:10 | |
fit to roll out right across 21st-century Britain. | 0:02:10 | 0:02:13 | |
The last thing we want is to be those blokes who've done something for the telly, | 0:02:13 | 0:02:17 | |
walked away and it falls apart. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:19 | |
We're going to kick off our nationwide campaign | 0:02:26 | 0:02:29 | |
to revitalise Meals On Wheels with a trip back in time. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:33 | |
It was started in 1943 by the WVS, the Women's Voluntary Service, | 0:02:34 | 0:02:40 | |
to help older victims of the Blitz during World War II. | 0:02:40 | 0:02:44 | |
It fulfilled the need while the men were away fighting, | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
that British spirit kicked in and helped the community at large. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:51 | |
From these simple beginnings, | 0:02:52 | 0:02:53 | |
it's grown into a very complex picture today, | 0:02:53 | 0:02:56 | |
a hotchpotch of unconnected, wildly differing services | 0:02:56 | 0:03:00 | |
all over the country, run by local authorities, | 0:03:00 | 0:03:02 | |
charities and private companies, | 0:03:02 | 0:03:05 | |
or sometimes a combination of all three. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:07 | |
Good morning, Meals On Wheels! | 0:03:07 | 0:03:09 | |
How much they cost, how you qualify | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
and whether you get Meals On Wheels at all is a postcode lottery. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:16 | |
It was a lot easier with Meals On Wheels. It really was. | 0:03:16 | 0:03:21 | |
But at its heart, the traditional service delivers a hot meal | 0:03:21 | 0:03:24 | |
with a vital visit, ensuring Britain's elderly and infirm are kept safe and well fed. | 0:03:24 | 0:03:29 | |
Meals On Wheels is more than a plate of food. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:33 | |
It is social interaction, somebody checking on them. | 0:03:33 | 0:03:36 | |
It's our chance to make sure everything's OK. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:39 | |
As part of our mission to revive this ailing institution, | 0:03:39 | 0:03:42 | |
we're going to start to tackle the three big issues | 0:03:42 | 0:03:45 | |
facing Meals On Wheels today. | 0:03:45 | 0:03:47 | |
First, the food. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:48 | |
Hold on. See that? Can you pour potatoes? | 0:03:48 | 0:03:52 | |
Then we'll strive to help one beleaguered council | 0:03:52 | 0:03:56 | |
rally vital volunteers. | 0:03:56 | 0:03:57 | |
Meals On Wheels, falling apart. We need volunteers! | 0:03:57 | 0:04:01 | |
But getting through to a new generation of recruits is | 0:04:01 | 0:04:04 | |
going to require a massive facelift. | 0:04:04 | 0:04:07 | |
Meals On Wheels? Erm, just, like, fast food? | 0:04:07 | 0:04:12 | |
We'll attempt to revamp tired old menus. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:15 | |
And cook delicious, fresh recipes we'd all love to eat. | 0:04:15 | 0:04:19 | |
If we can make it the best we possibly can, | 0:04:19 | 0:04:23 | |
then nobody can touch the meals-on-wheels service. | 0:04:23 | 0:04:26 | |
Bringing hot, delicious food into the homes of our old folk | 0:04:30 | 0:04:34 | |
is at the core of our meals-on-wheels concept. | 0:04:34 | 0:04:36 | |
And from our own personal experiences, | 0:04:38 | 0:04:40 | |
Dave and I know just important and challenging that can be. | 0:04:40 | 0:04:44 | |
We both grew up in homes where food and family were inseparable. | 0:04:45 | 0:04:49 | |
I was an only child in Barrow-in-Furness, | 0:04:52 | 0:04:54 | |
on the north-west coast. | 0:04:54 | 0:04:56 | |
My dad worked long shifts in a paper mill, | 0:04:56 | 0:05:01 | |
whilst my mum manned a crane in the local shipyards. | 0:05:01 | 0:05:04 | |
Do you know, these roads, this red pavement, | 0:05:05 | 0:05:08 | |
they laid this the year after I got my first roller-skates. | 0:05:08 | 0:05:11 | |
Can you imagine what that felt like? I was a solid little lad! | 0:05:11 | 0:05:16 | |
I had no fear. Just lots of plasters! | 0:05:17 | 0:05:19 | |
When I was eight, my mum became disabled with MS, | 0:05:20 | 0:05:23 | |
and it fell to me to provide some of the family meals. | 0:05:23 | 0:05:27 | |
There is it, number 88. Blooming heck! | 0:05:27 | 0:05:29 | |
So was this, then, your first place that you cooked anything? | 0:05:29 | 0:05:33 | |
Yeah, this was the first house | 0:05:33 | 0:05:35 | |
where I applied fire to food to make a meal. | 0:05:35 | 0:05:38 | |
My mum took a bad turn. My father was due home from work at 10:00, | 0:05:38 | 0:05:43 | |
and her multiple sclerosis was starting. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:45 | |
She couldn't move, so I set about cooking his tea, | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
and I've still got that very first cookbook. | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
The Radiation Cookbook. You couldn't sell that these days, could you?! | 0:05:52 | 0:05:57 | |
I looked for something to cook, what I had in the house, and it was a cheese-and-potato pie. | 0:05:57 | 0:06:01 | |
-Like a souffle. -You did that when you were eight? | 0:06:01 | 0:06:04 | |
When I was eight. When I think about it now, I can't believe it. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:07 | |
I helped my dad cook for my mum for the next 11 years, | 0:06:07 | 0:06:10 | |
learning as I went. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:11 | |
We had to care about what we fed her. Food was very, very important. | 0:06:13 | 0:06:17 | |
It was important to pleasure, to nourishment, | 0:06:17 | 0:06:20 | |
and I think a lot of old people, | 0:06:20 | 0:06:22 | |
they've grown up with that value in food. | 0:06:22 | 0:06:24 | |
On the opposite side of the country, | 0:06:26 | 0:06:28 | |
my mam was raised on a farm in the north-east. | 0:06:28 | 0:06:31 | |
She was a fantastic cook. | 0:06:31 | 0:06:33 | |
-Can you see that hilltop there? -Yes. | 0:06:34 | 0:06:36 | |
Directly across, that's where I was born. | 0:06:36 | 0:06:39 | |
Returning to the kitchen where my passion for food began brings back | 0:06:39 | 0:06:43 | |
bittersweet memories. | 0:06:43 | 0:06:44 | |
Oh, wow! This has changed. We had some dinners in here, dear me. | 0:06:46 | 0:06:51 | |
-She was a was a good cook, wasn't she? -Oh, yeah. | 0:06:51 | 0:06:53 | |
The house was always alive with parties and food and people, | 0:06:53 | 0:06:57 | |
and that was important. | 0:06:57 | 0:06:58 | |
For my mam, food was one of the greatest pleasures in life, | 0:06:58 | 0:07:01 | |
and when she fell poorly and became too frail to cook for herself, | 0:07:01 | 0:07:05 | |
she still looked forward to the food she'd always loved. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:10 | |
So, my brother dropped on to feed my mum, | 0:07:10 | 0:07:13 | |
and my sister would stay for protracted periods of time | 0:07:13 | 0:07:16 | |
and cook for Mum. | 0:07:16 | 0:07:17 | |
It is so important to feed the people that you love, | 0:07:17 | 0:07:20 | |
whether they be vulnerable, whether they be on their own. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:23 | |
What do people do if they haven't got that family to tap into? | 0:07:23 | 0:07:26 | |
What do people do? | 0:07:26 | 0:07:28 | |
For over 60 years, Meals On Wheels has aimed to fulfil that need | 0:07:30 | 0:07:34 | |
by delivering hot, daily lunches with a smile and a natter | 0:07:34 | 0:07:37 | |
when our old folk can no longer cook for themselves. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:41 | |
But in recent years, | 0:07:41 | 0:07:43 | |
this crucial institution has undergone radical change. | 0:07:43 | 0:07:47 | |
Meals On Wheels, it's iconic, but it's not what people think. | 0:07:47 | 0:07:51 | |
It's not a unified service. | 0:07:51 | 0:07:53 | |
It's different in different parts of the country. | 0:07:53 | 0:07:56 | |
Now, if you need that service, | 0:07:56 | 0:07:57 | |
it's very much dependent on where you live. | 0:07:57 | 0:07:59 | |
On the north side of the River Tyne, in North Tyneside, | 0:07:59 | 0:08:04 | |
people can still get a hot meal delivered to their door every daily. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:08 | |
Over here in South Tyneside, they can't. | 0:08:09 | 0:08:12 | |
To find out about the effects of this postcode lottery, we're popping round the corner to meet | 0:08:14 | 0:08:19 | |
84-year-old retired postmaster Bob, | 0:08:19 | 0:08:22 | |
who is now a full-time carer for his wife Susan. | 0:08:22 | 0:08:24 | |
-Hello, lads. -How are you? -Charming - I thought you were bringing the tea! | 0:08:26 | 0:08:30 | |
-So, Bob, we're in South Tyneside, aren't we? -Aye, South Tyneside. | 0:08:34 | 0:08:38 | |
-Have you lost your Meals On Wheels? -Never had any Meals On Wheels. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
-Never had Meals On Wheels, ever. -Right. | 0:08:41 | 0:08:43 | |
-You care for your wife as well, don't you? -She's got dementia. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:47 | |
-Right. -I've got to make all her meals. -Right. | 0:08:47 | 0:08:49 | |
Would it make a big difference to you | 0:08:49 | 0:08:51 | |
-if you could get Meals On Wheels? -Vast difference. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:54 | |
Vast difference. I lie in bed, | 0:08:54 | 0:08:55 | |
-thinking what I'm going to bloody cook for the next day. -Right. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:58 | |
-So the whole thing is a mission for you, really? -Aye. | 0:08:58 | 0:09:01 | |
Do you ever worry, though, Bob, that there's a day going to come | 0:09:01 | 0:09:04 | |
when you need more help and you can't do this? | 0:09:04 | 0:09:07 | |
It's coming now here, aye. Yeah, she's... | 0:09:07 | 0:09:10 | |
She's not so well, no. | 0:09:13 | 0:09:16 | |
What about you, Bob? | 0:09:16 | 0:09:17 | |
My legs have gone. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:20 | |
My legs have gone. | 0:09:20 | 0:09:22 | |
I can see my dad in Bob. My dad would have walked on hot coals | 0:09:22 | 0:09:27 | |
to look after my mum, and he did, until it killed him, really. | 0:09:27 | 0:09:31 | |
Proper salt-of-the-earth people. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:34 | |
So, when Bob is no longer able to cook for his wife, what's on offer? | 0:09:36 | 0:09:40 | |
More and more cash-strapped councils are replacing the traditional | 0:09:41 | 0:09:45 | |
daily hot delivery of Meals On Wheels with a bulk drop | 0:09:45 | 0:09:48 | |
of frozen microwavable lunches. | 0:09:48 | 0:09:51 | |
Liver-and-bacon casserole with mashed potato, broccoli and cauliflower. | 0:09:54 | 0:09:58 | |
Pudding - Bakewell tart. One minute 20, pierce the film. | 0:09:58 | 0:10:02 | |
To get a taste of what may be in store for us all in the future, | 0:10:03 | 0:10:07 | |
over the next five days, Si and I are going to road test | 0:10:07 | 0:10:11 | |
a randomly-selected range of these frozen meals, | 0:10:11 | 0:10:14 | |
which many meals-on-wheels providers have turned to | 0:10:14 | 0:10:18 | |
in a bid to continue to supply and deliver food to the elderly | 0:10:18 | 0:10:21 | |
when budgets are tight. | 0:10:21 | 0:10:23 | |
Bon appetit, mon frere! | 0:10:23 | 0:10:25 | |
-Broccoli. It's just gone to mush, hasn't it? -Look at that, look. | 0:10:28 | 0:10:33 | |
We've got to start this with an open mind, because, look, | 0:10:33 | 0:10:36 | |
we've all had ready meals, we've all had frozen meals, | 0:10:36 | 0:10:38 | |
and they can be good. | 0:10:38 | 0:10:40 | |
Frozen food may have its fans, | 0:10:40 | 0:10:43 | |
but we think fresh is always the better option, if possible. | 0:10:43 | 0:10:46 | |
Right. Got minced-beef pie. | 0:10:46 | 0:10:49 | |
Jam sponge with custard. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:52 | |
Mashed potato. | 0:10:53 | 0:10:56 | |
If you're lucky, you'll get your two-course frozen meal subsidized | 0:10:58 | 0:11:02 | |
by your local council, | 0:11:02 | 0:11:04 | |
but you may have to buy them from private companies. | 0:11:04 | 0:11:07 | |
The cost can range from around £1.50 to up to a fiver. | 0:11:07 | 0:11:10 | |
There is absolutely no care in this at all, and they just... | 0:11:10 | 0:11:15 | |
It's like going... | 0:11:15 | 0:11:17 | |
"There you are, I don't care." | 0:11:17 | 0:11:20 | |
This one's peculiar, though. Mince-beef hotpot - "contains fish". | 0:11:20 | 0:11:25 | |
Don't know how they work that one out. | 0:11:25 | 0:11:28 | |
Sticky-toffee pudding. There's not much sticky about it. | 0:11:28 | 0:11:32 | |
It's the best of the puddings so far, though. Definitely. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:37 | |
Either that or I'm just getting used to it. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
Some may appreciate the flexibility and diversity of dishes | 0:11:42 | 0:11:45 | |
these meals offer. | 0:11:45 | 0:11:46 | |
Hold on. You see that? Can you pour potatoes? | 0:11:46 | 0:11:50 | |
You can with that. | 0:11:50 | 0:11:52 | |
What have we got? | 0:11:52 | 0:11:53 | |
Spanish omelette with chips and peas! | 0:11:55 | 0:11:57 | |
-MICROWAVE PINGS BOTH: -Woo! | 0:11:57 | 0:12:00 | |
'Recent Government figures claim that | 0:12:00 | 0:12:02 | |
'almost a fifth of people living in Britain today will live | 0:12:02 | 0:12:05 | |
'to the ripe old age of 100.' | 0:12:05 | 0:12:08 | |
-Bloody hell. Do you know what that tastes like? -What? | 0:12:08 | 0:12:10 | |
-A polystyrene tile. -It does, doesn't it? -It does. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:13 | |
If this is the future of Meals On Wheels, God help over ten million of us. | 0:12:13 | 0:12:17 | |
I reckon there's a big industry in this stuff. | 0:12:18 | 0:12:21 | |
There's got to be. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:22 | |
Our grans and grandads deserve a lot better. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:30 | |
And we're on a mission to make sure they get it. | 0:12:33 | 0:12:37 | |
And we're starting with a trip back in time to get some inspiration. | 0:12:37 | 0:12:40 | |
-How wonderful are these?! -There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle! | 0:12:44 | 0:12:49 | |
Here we are, where it all began, | 0:12:49 | 0:12:52 | |
the birthplace of Meals On Wheels, Welwyn Garden City. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:56 | |
The Meals On Wheels started during World War II. | 0:12:56 | 0:13:00 | |
It came out of the Blitz spirit. | 0:13:00 | 0:13:02 | |
It was formed by the WVS, the Women's Voluntary Service. | 0:13:02 | 0:13:05 | |
It was so good that within 20 years it spread like wildfire | 0:13:05 | 0:13:09 | |
around the country, and soon they were serving millions of meals. | 0:13:09 | 0:13:13 | |
How fantastic is that? | 0:13:13 | 0:13:14 | |
Today's Meals On Wheels provision may be under threat | 0:13:14 | 0:13:18 | |
from council budget cuts, but during the early days, | 0:13:18 | 0:13:21 | |
the ladies of the WVS had to cope with the constraints of rationing. | 0:13:21 | 0:13:25 | |
But despite these difficult times, within a year | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
they were delivering over 200 freshly-cooked hot meals | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
to Welwyn's elderly and infirm every month. | 0:13:34 | 0:13:39 | |
We're hoping to learn a thing or two from their canny wartime spirit of invention. | 0:13:39 | 0:13:43 | |
If you don't know where you're from, how do you know where you're going? | 0:13:45 | 0:13:51 | |
That's the idea. | 0:13:51 | 0:13:53 | |
We're going to give | 0:13:53 | 0:13:54 | |
a couple of frugal but nutritious wartime recipes a whirl, | 0:13:54 | 0:13:58 | |
starting with corned beef and oatmeal savoury pudding. | 0:13:58 | 0:14:01 | |
Take one ounce... We're back to old measurements, lovely. | 0:14:01 | 0:14:06 | |
-One ounce of dripping. Beef dripping. -Lard. | 0:14:06 | 0:14:08 | |
What Britain was built on, you see! | 0:14:08 | 0:14:10 | |
Northern Europe, full of lard. Brilliant. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:12 | |
That's about an ounce, in't it? Roughly. | 0:14:12 | 0:14:15 | |
To the sizzling fat, we add oatmeal, full of healthy roughage. | 0:14:17 | 0:14:21 | |
Followed by that old wartime favourite, corned beef. | 0:14:23 | 0:14:26 | |
A couple of grated carrots. | 0:14:26 | 0:14:30 | |
This is chicken stock. Half a pint. | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
Times were tough, ingredients were few and far between, | 0:14:35 | 0:14:38 | |
and they had to make tasty food from out of what was available. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:42 | |
Have a taste of that. | 0:14:42 | 0:14:43 | |
-That's very nice, isn't it? -It's really good. -Yeah. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:49 | |
It's not the most appetising thing, you could lay bricks with it - | 0:14:50 | 0:14:55 | |
but that's not the point. There's a war on! | 0:14:55 | 0:14:57 | |
Finally, we ready our pudding for steaming | 0:14:57 | 0:15:00 | |
with a good, old-fashioned sheet of brown paper | 0:15:00 | 0:15:02 | |
and a length of sturdy string. | 0:15:02 | 0:15:04 | |
A built-in handle so you don't burn your hands in the pan, | 0:15:04 | 0:15:07 | |
and just steam that for about an hour and a half. | 0:15:07 | 0:15:10 | |
Now, they want a pudding, so we're going to do an eggless sponge. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:15 | |
We found this recipe. Remember, it's eggless | 0:15:15 | 0:15:18 | |
because the rationing in World War II, it was one egg a week. | 0:15:18 | 0:15:21 | |
First into the bowl, golden syrup, margarine and sugar. | 0:15:22 | 0:15:26 | |
And, true to this 60-year-old recipe, | 0:15:26 | 0:15:28 | |
I'm using raw manpower to cream them together. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:31 | |
"Until soft and light." | 0:15:31 | 0:15:33 | |
-Is that soft and light? -No. | 0:15:34 | 0:15:37 | |
Right, six ounces of self-raising flour. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:41 | |
It says to add a teaspoonful of baking powder. | 0:15:41 | 0:15:43 | |
That'll give it more lift. Cos remember, it's eggless. | 0:15:43 | 0:15:47 | |
Next, we add a quarter pint of milk, | 0:15:47 | 0:15:50 | |
beat into a smooth batter, and it's ready for the tins. | 0:15:50 | 0:15:53 | |
"Bake for approximately 20 minutes until firm to the touch, | 0:15:53 | 0:15:56 | |
"just above the centre of a moderately-hot oven. | 0:15:56 | 0:15:59 | |
"Turn out and sandwich with jam." | 0:15:59 | 0:16:00 | |
Our austerity cuisine looks and smells pretty good, which is a huge relief... | 0:16:02 | 0:16:08 | |
..because we're about to deliver our wartime recipes | 0:16:11 | 0:16:15 | |
to one of Meals On Wheels' oldest surviving volunteers, | 0:16:15 | 0:16:18 | |
Gladys Taaffe. | 0:16:18 | 0:16:20 | |
15 miles due west, here in Hemel Hempstead, | 0:16:20 | 0:16:23 | |
this grand 100-year-old lady pioneered the service, | 0:16:23 | 0:16:27 | |
and her daughter Elizabeth lives close by. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:30 | |
Gladys, are we right in thinking that you volunteered | 0:16:32 | 0:16:35 | |
up to the age of...97, was it? | 0:16:35 | 0:16:39 | |
-95. -95. -Yes. -Well, that's quite remarkable, madam, wouldn't you say? | 0:16:39 | 0:16:44 | |
Well, the poor things wanted feeding! | 0:16:45 | 0:16:48 | |
Do you have any funny stories about when you were delivering during the war? | 0:16:50 | 0:16:53 | |
-Some of the people were very difficult. -Right. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:57 | |
-Some were lovely. -What about the woman with the wooden leg? | 0:16:57 | 0:17:01 | |
Oh, yes! She used to say when I knocked on the door, | 0:17:01 | 0:17:06 | |
"Come in! Is that Meals On Wheels? Will you pick up my wooden leg? | 0:17:06 | 0:17:11 | |
"I've had to throw it at the children last night, | 0:17:11 | 0:17:14 | |
-"they were knocking at the door!" -Oh, no! | 0:17:14 | 0:17:16 | |
What we've done is, we've found some recipes from the wartime. | 0:17:18 | 0:17:21 | |
-The first one was a corned beef and oatmeal pudding. -Oh, yes. | 0:17:24 | 0:17:28 | |
Would you do us the honour, Gladys, of seeing what you think? | 0:17:28 | 0:17:32 | |
-Quite nice. -Mmm. -It's lovely. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:41 | |
-Tasty. Gladys, do we approve? -We do! | 0:17:42 | 0:17:44 | |
-Oh, good! -Hurray, you've got the thumbs-up! | 0:17:44 | 0:17:47 | |
The corned-beef pudding has definitely hit the spot with Gladys, | 0:17:47 | 0:17:51 | |
but are we be able to proclaim victory with our eggless jam sponge? | 0:17:51 | 0:17:55 | |
-Mmm. -You have plenty of that. | 0:17:57 | 0:18:00 | |
Very, very nice. | 0:18:03 | 0:18:04 | |
That's really nice. | 0:18:04 | 0:18:06 | |
-You've enjoyed that, Gladys! -I did! -Yeah, good, good! | 0:18:06 | 0:18:10 | |
Wonderful. | 0:18:10 | 0:18:12 | |
We've been inspired by the shrewd ingenuity | 0:18:14 | 0:18:17 | |
of these fabulous wartime recipes, | 0:18:17 | 0:18:19 | |
and by Gladys Taaffe's remarkable devotion to the cause. | 0:18:19 | 0:18:22 | |
Now, Dave and I are heading to one of | 0:18:26 | 0:18:27 | |
the increasingly-rare local authorities in Britain | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
that still provide a traditional Meals On Wheels service. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
Elmbridge, in Surrey. | 0:18:33 | 0:18:36 | |
Here, hot two-course lunches are delivered daily | 0:18:37 | 0:18:40 | |
for up to 250 of the borough's old folk | 0:18:40 | 0:18:42 | |
by a large team of regular volunteers. | 0:18:42 | 0:18:45 | |
The Meals On Wheels service is an essential part of | 0:18:45 | 0:18:48 | |
keeping somebody independent in their own home. | 0:18:48 | 0:18:51 | |
We wouldn't be able to provide meals on wheels or a seven-day service | 0:18:51 | 0:18:55 | |
without our volunteers. | 0:18:55 | 0:18:57 | |
But with their volunteer numbers down by a third, | 0:18:57 | 0:19:00 | |
Elmbridge's long-running service is desperate for help. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
They've called us in to try and save their Meals On Wheels. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:08 | |
We'll be working at one of six centres that supply these meals. | 0:19:08 | 0:19:13 | |
Keen to get to grips with the whole operation, | 0:19:13 | 0:19:16 | |
we're hooking up with some of the volunteers who'll be whisking today's hot lunches | 0:19:16 | 0:19:20 | |
off to the elderly of Elmbridge. | 0:19:20 | 0:19:23 | |
Hello, ladies. Hi, how are you? | 0:19:23 | 0:19:24 | |
Now, you are the cutting edge, aren't you? | 0:19:24 | 0:19:27 | |
You are the delivery drivers. | 0:19:27 | 0:19:29 | |
-Wheels of steel! -Yes! | 0:19:29 | 0:19:31 | |
You're practically Meals On Wheels, aren't you, on your motorbikes! | 0:19:31 | 0:19:35 | |
We're really looking forward to it, ladies. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:37 | |
Really looking forward to it. | 0:19:37 | 0:19:38 | |
-Do put us to work, Grace. -Oh, I will! -Great. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:42 | |
Retired art teacher Grace picks up today's hot lunches from a dumb waiter | 0:19:42 | 0:19:47 | |
which ferries them out from the kitchen. | 0:19:47 | 0:19:49 | |
-98% are very grateful. But you get 2% of anything, don't you? -Of course. | 0:19:49 | 0:19:57 | |
I would go pillion with one of you | 0:19:57 | 0:19:59 | |
but I suppose that wouldn't be allowed. | 0:19:59 | 0:20:01 | |
At 77, Grace has been delivering Meals On Wheels for the last 25 years. | 0:20:01 | 0:20:06 | |
She's typical of Elmbridge's dedicated but aging volunteer workforce. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:12 | |
-What do we need, Grace? -We need a meal and a pud. | 0:20:12 | 0:20:15 | |
-'Good morning.' -Good morning. Meals On Wheels. | 0:20:15 | 0:20:19 | |
-Where should I put it? -In the kitchen. -Yes. | 0:20:19 | 0:20:23 | |
-Hello. -Come on in. -Oh, thank you. -I'm Dave. | 0:20:24 | 0:20:28 | |
-You're Dave. -We do The Hairy Bikers. You know the programme on the telly? | 0:20:28 | 0:20:32 | |
-Yes. -Hello. I'm Si. Very nice to meet you. | 0:20:32 | 0:20:35 | |
Very nice to meet... You've all got beards. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:38 | |
A volunteer is often the only person | 0:20:39 | 0:20:41 | |
a Meals On Wheels client will see all day. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:44 | |
It's more than just a plate of food. It's a chance to chat to somebody. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:49 | |
'It's a chance to make sure everything's all right.' | 0:20:49 | 0:20:54 | |
'If they see them so often, they can detect changes in their mannerisms | 0:20:54 | 0:20:58 | |
'in their health. So, it's really important.' | 0:20:58 | 0:21:01 | |
You're doing wonderfully well. | 0:21:01 | 0:21:03 | |
Across town, 88-year-old Gloria | 0:21:03 | 0:21:06 | |
and 81-year-old Sue are out on the rounds too. | 0:21:06 | 0:21:09 | |
The Elmbridge volunteers donate over £300,000 worth | 0:21:09 | 0:21:13 | |
of free manpower every year Without their generosity | 0:21:13 | 0:21:18 | |
this daily, face-to-face service would simply stop. | 0:21:18 | 0:21:22 | |
-Looks very nice. -Yes, you've got prunes there. | 0:21:23 | 0:21:27 | |
It's a bit cold out. | 0:21:27 | 0:21:30 | |
-Hello. -Hello. -Mr Thompson, I'm Si. Very nice to meet you, sir. -And you. | 0:21:30 | 0:21:36 | |
-For 15 years, I was a motorcycling instructor. -Really? -Yes. | 0:21:36 | 0:21:41 | |
-It's nice to meet a fellow motorcyclist. It's great. -Yes. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:44 | |
DOORBELL RINGS | 0:21:44 | 0:21:46 | |
If a door remains unanswered, | 0:21:46 | 0:21:48 | |
Elmbridge volunteers will never leave a home | 0:21:48 | 0:21:50 | |
until they know the client is all right. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:54 | |
KNOCKS ON DOOR | 0:21:54 | 0:21:57 | |
Mrs Wells. Oh, she's coming. Sorry. | 0:21:57 | 0:22:00 | |
-It's very cold, isn't it? -It is. A very cold wind actually. -Yes. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:06 | |
You're nice and warm in here, aren't you, though? | 0:22:06 | 0:22:09 | |
Mr Curtis, I'm Si. Very nice to meet you, sir. | 0:22:09 | 0:22:12 | |
-I like you a lot. -Oh, thank you, sir. | 0:22:12 | 0:22:15 | |
The daily delivery helps people like Mr Curtis stay in their own homes. | 0:22:15 | 0:22:20 | |
The thing is, Grace, if you weren't going, | 0:22:20 | 0:22:22 | |
-how's he going to prepare a meal? -Well, you see, this is the trouble. | 0:22:22 | 0:22:26 | |
If Mr Curtis still has his independence. | 0:22:26 | 0:22:28 | |
If it's a year or two, it's worth giving people that dignity. | 0:22:28 | 0:22:32 | |
-You see, they don't want to give up their homes. -No, who would? | 0:22:32 | 0:22:36 | |
If there were homes to go in to... But there aren't. | 0:22:36 | 0:22:39 | |
But they don't want to give them up. You can understand it. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:43 | |
It's so important what you do, Grace. So important. | 0:22:43 | 0:22:47 | |
I think it is and I love it. Hello, Mrs Prunier. | 0:22:47 | 0:22:50 | |
-'Ello, 'ello, 'ello. -Hello, I'm Dave. | 0:22:50 | 0:22:53 | |
Hello, I'm Si. Very nice to meet you. | 0:22:53 | 0:22:56 | |
-You enjoy your lunch. -Tuck in. | 0:22:56 | 0:22:58 | |
-Thank you. -Thanks, Mrs Prunier. | 0:22:58 | 0:23:00 | |
It was lovely to see you. All these people here. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:03 | |
The criteria for who gets Meals On Wheels varies greatly | 0:23:03 | 0:23:07 | |
among those councils that still offer them | 0:23:07 | 0:23:10 | |
but, generally, they're getting stricter. | 0:23:10 | 0:23:13 | |
Here in Elmbridge, hot daily meals are delivered to people in need. | 0:23:13 | 0:23:16 | |
I look forward to this every day. I never get the same twice. | 0:23:19 | 0:23:24 | |
-DOORBELL RINGS -'When the old folk have had time to digest their lunch | 0:23:24 | 0:23:27 | |
'we head back to find out just how vital this service is to them.' | 0:23:27 | 0:23:32 | |
What does it mean to you to get Meal On Wheels? | 0:23:32 | 0:23:34 | |
It's been wonderful. I can't praise it too much | 0:23:34 | 0:23:38 | |
because when I did this, it really left us without any means of getting about. | 0:23:38 | 0:23:46 | |
I can't stand very long to try and do any cooking, that's the trouble. | 0:23:46 | 0:23:50 | |
It's certainly a big help to me, trying to cope with the house | 0:23:50 | 0:23:55 | |
and the shopping and the washing and everything else. I'm 92. | 0:23:55 | 0:23:59 | |
Generally, do you enjoy the food | 0:23:59 | 0:24:02 | |
that's supplied by the Meals On Wheels service? | 0:24:02 | 0:24:05 | |
-On the whole, yes, I think so. -Good. | 0:24:05 | 0:24:09 | |
Rather a lot of things like rhubarb crumble | 0:24:09 | 0:24:11 | |
-when the rhubarb is as sour as anything. -I see. -Terrible! | 0:24:11 | 0:24:16 | |
I don't think they ought to do hotpots. I don't know what on earth meat they put in a hotpot | 0:24:16 | 0:24:21 | |
but it's absolutely disgusting. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:23 | |
-When the girls deliver the food to your door, they stop for a bit of a chat. -Oh yes. | 0:24:23 | 0:24:27 | |
Seeing a face. Days get very long when you're on your own. | 0:24:27 | 0:24:32 | |
Very long sometimes. | 0:24:32 | 0:24:33 | |
-If you lost the service that clearly you... -I try not to think about that. | 0:24:33 | 0:24:40 | |
-What would that mean for you? -Oh, it would be devastating for me. | 0:24:40 | 0:24:44 | |
We've got to do everything that we can | 0:24:44 | 0:24:46 | |
to make sure that the system not only stays, it gets better. | 0:24:46 | 0:24:50 | |
If you lost the service, what would it mean to you? | 0:24:51 | 0:24:55 | |
It would mean a lot, I think, really. I do look forward to them coming. | 0:24:55 | 0:25:00 | |
They're not going to stop it, are they? | 0:25:02 | 0:25:04 | |
The Elmbridge Meals On Wheels service clearly means a lot to the old folk | 0:25:04 | 0:25:09 | |
but as cooks, we're eager to learn more about the food. | 0:25:09 | 0:25:13 | |
So we've come to the kitchen to lend a hand and see how it operates. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:19 | |
Morning, ladies. How are you, this morning? | 0:25:19 | 0:25:21 | |
-Fine thank you. Lesley. -Hello, Lesley, I'm Si, how you doing? | 0:25:21 | 0:25:24 | |
-Fine, thank you. -Gladys. Call me Glad...cos I'm glad all over. -Hiya. -Hiya, Julie. | 0:25:24 | 0:25:32 | |
-Are you the boss cook, Julie? -I am, I'm afraid, yes. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
-How many dinners a day do you do? -Meals On Wheels, it's about 40 a day. | 0:25:35 | 0:25:40 | |
The girls begin work at 8:30 sharp, | 0:25:42 | 0:25:44 | |
both pudding and main course must be cooked, packed | 0:25:44 | 0:25:47 | |
and ready to go out on the rounds in just three hours. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:51 | |
-I've got Jane's hat. -Hope it fits. | 0:25:51 | 0:25:54 | |
Look at that. If the caps fits, Jane. | 0:25:54 | 0:25:57 | |
Julie and assistant cook Lesley are two of only three part-time, paid staff in the kitchen. | 0:25:57 | 0:26:02 | |
both have worked here for over 13 years. | 0:26:02 | 0:26:05 | |
I've never been one for cooking. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:07 | |
I just... I don't know, | 0:26:07 | 0:26:09 | |
I've just never been into it until I got here. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:12 | |
My husband said, "Why are you working there? You don't cook." | 0:26:12 | 0:26:15 | |
It's not the most encouraging piece of news | 0:26:15 | 0:26:19 | |
but our first job is to help veteran volunteer Gladys | 0:26:19 | 0:26:22 | |
dish up the pud - ground rice and prunes. | 0:26:22 | 0:26:26 | |
How long have you worked here, Gladys? | 0:26:26 | 0:26:28 | |
18 years, now, as a volunteer. | 0:26:28 | 0:26:30 | |
-I'm 86 at the end of the month. -Are you? | 0:26:30 | 0:26:35 | |
I hope I look like you when I'm 86, I tell you. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:37 | |
-You're fit as a lop, aren't you? -Pardon? -You're fit. | 0:26:37 | 0:26:40 | |
-Fit as a lop, you know? -Well, I feel it. | 0:26:40 | 0:26:42 | |
-You look gorgeous. -That's cos I've got four sons. | 0:26:42 | 0:26:46 | |
-Do they look after you, your boys? -Oh, you must be joking. | 0:26:46 | 0:26:50 | |
The first lot of veg are already cooked | 0:26:54 | 0:26:57 | |
but it's nearly two hours before they're due to go out. | 0:26:57 | 0:27:00 | |
-That's frozen veg. -It is, yeah. | 0:27:00 | 0:27:03 | |
It looks like today's veg | 0:27:03 | 0:27:06 | |
is coming out of the freezer in great sack-fulls | 0:27:06 | 0:27:08 | |
and there's clearly not much chopping going on around here. | 0:27:08 | 0:27:12 | |
That's blunt. That's as much use as a chocolate fire guard. | 0:27:12 | 0:27:15 | |
That's too short. You got to have the tools of your trade, ladies. | 0:27:15 | 0:27:19 | |
Working on a budget of just £1.25 a meal, | 0:27:19 | 0:27:22 | |
today, Julie's serving up a frozen chicken pie | 0:27:22 | 0:27:24 | |
and she's knocked up a basic sausage plait. | 0:27:24 | 0:27:28 | |
But we're beginning to suspect that cooking from fresh in this kitchen is a rarity. | 0:27:30 | 0:27:35 | |
So, this is our fridge - four or five shelves. | 0:27:35 | 0:27:38 | |
Blimey, that's teeny! | 0:27:38 | 0:27:40 | |
-Walk-in freezer. -Right. | 0:27:40 | 0:27:43 | |
-Wow, that's a big freezer, isn't it? -What've we got in here? | 0:27:43 | 0:27:47 | |
We've got boxes of liver and bacon casserole, some meatballs, | 0:27:47 | 0:27:51 | |
some frozen faggots. All the frozen veg. Yeah. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:55 | |
Cauli, peas, sprouts. | 0:27:55 | 0:27:58 | |
And why is it that you'd rather buy 30 frozen backed jacket potatoes | 0:27:58 | 0:28:02 | |
than buy 30... | 0:28:02 | 0:28:04 | |
cos that's got to be more expensive. | 0:28:04 | 0:28:06 | |
Just get a sack of potatoes and stick them in the oven. What's... | 0:28:06 | 0:28:09 | |
They're all identical size and weight so the portioning is much easier. | 0:28:09 | 0:28:14 | |
That's interesting. You deal with a lot of frozen food | 0:28:14 | 0:28:17 | |
-as opposed to fresh food in your fridge. -Yeah. -OK. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:22 | |
Next door is the larder, stacked high with dried foodstuffs | 0:28:22 | 0:28:26 | |
including some we'd hoped we'd seen the last of | 0:28:26 | 0:28:28 | |
in the frozen ready meals we road-tested. | 0:28:28 | 0:28:31 | |
-Milk powder, sponge mix... -Potato mash mix. -We do, yes. -Interesting. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:39 | |
As mains are dished up, | 0:28:40 | 0:28:41 | |
we're curious to sample the frozen chicken pie. | 0:28:41 | 0:28:44 | |
Make sure you get some chicken. It's all slid up the end. | 0:28:44 | 0:28:48 | |
Do you have to hunt for it? | 0:28:48 | 0:28:49 | |
-Cos there's a lot of gravy in that pie, isn't there? -Another well-packed pie. | 0:28:49 | 0:28:53 | |
'Normally, we're well up for chef's perks, | 0:28:55 | 0:28:58 | |
'but on this occasion, we're going in with trepidation. | 0:28:58 | 0:29:01 | |
'How will it compare with the frozen ready meals?' | 0:29:01 | 0:29:04 | |
That looks like a bit of cardboard. | 0:29:04 | 0:29:06 | |
Can't get beyond the artificial, chemically taste. | 0:29:06 | 0:29:09 | |
-It reminds me of when I was a kid and you used to have cheap instant soup. -Yeah. | 0:29:09 | 0:29:13 | |
I mean, the cabbage, I don't know why we haven't got a head of cabbage. | 0:29:13 | 0:29:17 | |
You haven't got any knives to do it. | 0:29:17 | 0:29:20 | |
'These Meals On Wheels are a step up from the microwaved food, | 0:29:21 | 0:29:25 | |
'but we're still hugely disappointed.' | 0:29:25 | 0:29:28 | |
'Surely, the least we can give our grans and granddads are fresh, comforting meals, | 0:29:28 | 0:29:33 | |
'made with a bit of love and respect?' | 0:29:33 | 0:29:36 | |
What we've bitten off is pretty colossal. | 0:29:37 | 0:29:39 | |
Oh, yeah. I think once we've got into it, realised there's an awful lot to it. | 0:29:39 | 0:29:43 | |
There's a lot to be considered. | 0:29:43 | 0:29:45 | |
It's not as simple as it first appears. | 0:29:45 | 0:29:47 | |
I think there's two issues - | 0:29:47 | 0:29:49 | |
one's the food and the other one is the volunteers. | 0:29:49 | 0:29:52 | |
There could be a little more zip in their pip, when it comes to the food. | 0:29:52 | 0:29:56 | |
But the volunteers, I think, are integral to the whole process | 0:29:56 | 0:29:59 | |
I don't think dropping off packets of frozen food on a fortnightly basis | 0:29:59 | 0:30:03 | |
is going to work. I think the volunteers, they bring so much to the table. | 0:30:03 | 0:30:07 | |
They also save lives. It needs an awful lot of volunteers to keep the system working. | 0:30:07 | 0:30:12 | |
So we're going to have to try and drum up enthusiasm for that. | 0:30:12 | 0:30:16 | |
The ageing volunteer force that shore up the system in this borough can't go on for ever. | 0:30:21 | 0:30:26 | |
So we're joining forces with two of the Elmbridge Golden Girls | 0:30:26 | 0:30:29 | |
to drum up some new recruits, using every weapon in the council's PR armoury. | 0:30:29 | 0:30:35 | |
Lesley, you take the high street. | 0:30:36 | 0:30:39 | |
You are going to go to the college with a load of leaflets, pass them around. | 0:30:39 | 0:30:43 | |
Look charming, flutter your eyelids, all that business. | 0:30:43 | 0:30:46 | |
Right, here we go. | 0:30:46 | 0:30:47 | |
See you later, Gloria. | 0:30:47 | 0:30:49 | |
Go on, get the mojo going! Fire them up with enthusiasm. | 0:30:49 | 0:30:52 | |
'At the local college, Gloria sets out the council's promotional material, | 0:30:54 | 0:30:58 | |
'hoping to entice the next generation of dedicated volunteers...' | 0:30:58 | 0:31:02 | |
'Whilst Dave and I help Lesley set up a strategic position on the High Street.' | 0:31:04 | 0:31:09 | |
-Do you know how to do this, Dave? -No. | 0:31:09 | 0:31:11 | |
HE GROANS WITH EFFORT | 0:31:11 | 0:31:13 | |
I think this might be why people aren't volunteering! | 0:31:15 | 0:31:18 | |
Is that it? | 0:31:19 | 0:31:20 | |
LESLEY LAUGHS | 0:31:20 | 0:31:21 | |
There's nothing on that side, look. What happens if they come from behind? | 0:31:23 | 0:31:28 | |
Oh really, we've got to do better than this. | 0:31:28 | 0:31:30 | |
Can we interest you in any volunteer work? | 0:31:33 | 0:31:37 | |
This is Meals On Wheels. We need volunteers once a fortnight. | 0:31:37 | 0:31:41 | |
Would you do it? | 0:31:41 | 0:31:42 | |
We want volunteers to deliver, but also... | 0:31:42 | 0:31:44 | |
-Look, see. Don't... -Do you cook? | 0:31:44 | 0:31:47 | |
No, I'm a rubbish cook. | 0:31:47 | 0:31:49 | |
Do you drive? | 0:31:49 | 0:31:50 | |
Excuse me... | 0:31:51 | 0:31:52 | |
All the deliveries are all done by volunteers. | 0:31:55 | 0:31:58 | |
What do you reckon? | 0:31:58 | 0:32:00 | |
No. | 0:32:00 | 0:32:01 | |
Vote of confidence from the older generation(!) | 0:32:06 | 0:32:10 | |
'So far on the High Street, the council's publicity material hasn't hooked a single new recruit.' | 0:32:10 | 0:32:16 | |
My mum and stuff, they do a lot of volunteering, but obviously us guys, | 0:32:16 | 0:32:20 | |
as the younger generation, we don't do nothing, so... | 0:32:20 | 0:32:23 | |
I definitely think that the Meals On Wheels image is, like, kind of old. | 0:32:23 | 0:32:28 | |
Volunteers, especially, it doesn't seem to be appealing to the young population. | 0:32:28 | 0:32:33 | |
Meals On Wheels? Just, like, fast... Is it just fast food? | 0:32:33 | 0:32:39 | |
Eating - I honestly don't know. | 0:32:39 | 0:32:42 | |
'Si and I have left the High Street in search of richer pickings.' | 0:32:42 | 0:32:47 | |
Hello, Elmbridge. | 0:32:49 | 0:32:50 | |
Hello, Elmbridge. | 0:32:51 | 0:32:52 | |
'At the college, the council's leaflets... | 0:32:52 | 0:32:55 | |
Well, they're just not cutting the mustard with the students. | 0:32:55 | 0:32:59 | |
'So 88-year-old Gloria tries a new tactic.' | 0:32:59 | 0:33:03 | |
MUSIC: "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" by Tchaikovsky | 0:33:03 | 0:33:09 | |
'Now, if that doesn't attract volunteers, I don't know what will!' | 0:33:09 | 0:33:14 | |
'At the train station, we're hitting the buffers. | 0:33:15 | 0:33:18 | |
-Can I have two minutes of your time? Would you mind? -Sorry, no. | 0:33:18 | 0:33:21 | |
-No, no? Madam, no? -No. No. | 0:33:21 | 0:33:22 | |
You'll need us one day. | 0:33:22 | 0:33:24 | |
'Time to bring out the big guns. The council's volunteer display board.' | 0:33:24 | 0:33:29 | |
-It doesn't say "Join me", does it? -No. | 0:33:29 | 0:33:32 | |
That is the most depressing thing. | 0:33:32 | 0:33:34 | |
-That's doing us more damage than good, I think. -Yeah. | 0:33:34 | 0:33:37 | |
'An hour-and-a-half later, much to her surprise, | 0:33:42 | 0:33:45 | |
'our Gloria has finally got a bite at the college.' | 0:33:45 | 0:33:48 | |
You can take it and... | 0:33:48 | 0:33:51 | |
No, I can fill it in now, if you want. If you've got a pen, I'll fill it in now. | 0:33:51 | 0:33:55 | |
That's great. | 0:33:56 | 0:33:57 | |
A positive response! | 0:33:59 | 0:34:01 | |
Thank you very much. Yes. | 0:34:02 | 0:34:03 | |
'One more volunteer is great news, but we need a whole host of them | 0:34:03 | 0:34:07 | |
'to ensure the future of Meals On Wheels in Elmbridge.' | 0:34:07 | 0:34:12 | |
People are a bit reluctant to volunteer, | 0:34:12 | 0:34:15 | |
cos it encroaches on their private life, I suppose. | 0:34:15 | 0:34:19 | |
Anybody can find a couple of hours if they want to. | 0:34:20 | 0:34:23 | |
I just don't understand. | 0:34:23 | 0:34:25 | |
You can get so much pleasure out of doing Meals On Wheels. | 0:34:25 | 0:34:28 | |
'As the 5:15pm commuter train pulls in, | 0:34:32 | 0:34:33 | |
'we're forcing our leaflets on a final wave of uninterested travellers.' | 0:34:33 | 0:34:38 | |
Elmbridge needs you. The council needs you. | 0:34:40 | 0:34:43 | |
Meals On Wheels. Falling apart. | 0:34:43 | 0:34:45 | |
-Thank you. -You're very welcome. | 0:34:45 | 0:34:47 | |
Meals On Wheels, volunteers to deliver. | 0:34:47 | 0:34:49 | |
If you can't do it yourself, you may know somebody. We need volunteers! | 0:34:49 | 0:34:53 | |
'Four people canvassing in three different locations for over two-and-a-half hours | 0:34:53 | 0:34:57 | |
'has only landed us one volunteer. | 0:34:57 | 0:35:00 | |
'The magnitude of what we've taken on is starting to hit home.' | 0:35:00 | 0:35:04 | |
I think we're feeling a lot of pressure and responsibility | 0:35:04 | 0:35:07 | |
The last thing we want is to be those blokes who did something for the telly, | 0:35:07 | 0:35:11 | |
walked away and it all falls apart. | 0:35:11 | 0:35:14 | |
-We can't do that. -Nah. -That's not us. That's not the way our mojo works. | 0:35:14 | 0:35:19 | |
'We've got to get our thinking caps on. | 0:35:20 | 0:35:22 | |
'Like all good things that fall out of favour, it's clear this 60-year-old institution | 0:35:22 | 0:35:27 | |
'badly needs rebranding with a 21st-century image.' | 0:35:27 | 0:35:31 | |
'In the meantime, we're desperate to find a way | 0:35:37 | 0:35:39 | |
'to make today's Meals On Wheels and its values relevant to the next generation of volunteers.' | 0:35:39 | 0:35:46 | |
I don't think people realise it's delivered by volunteers, | 0:35:47 | 0:35:50 | |
and without them, the system will collapse. | 0:35:50 | 0:35:52 | |
'For our next volunteer drive, we've left the council's pin board behind. | 0:35:52 | 0:35:58 | |
'Today, we'll be deploying shock tactics. | 0:35:58 | 0:36:00 | |
'We're gate-crashing lunch at a local company canteen. | 0:36:02 | 0:36:06 | |
'Here, they're spoilt by fantastic, fresh-cooked food every day.' | 0:36:06 | 0:36:11 | |
I think the food that they're serving here has yum factor - | 0:36:11 | 0:36:14 | |
you can smell it, you can look at it. | 0:36:14 | 0:36:16 | |
'But we're about to give them a taste of what we might all be facing, | 0:36:16 | 0:36:20 | |
'if traditional Meals On Wheels becomes extinct - | 0:36:20 | 0:36:23 | |
'the frozen, microwaveable pensioner's ready meals.' | 0:36:23 | 0:36:26 | |
-Hello. -Can we interrupt your lunch for a moment? | 0:36:27 | 0:36:29 | |
Of course, yeah. | 0:36:29 | 0:36:30 | |
Da-da-da! | 0:36:30 | 0:36:33 | |
It's a steak and kidney pie, with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. | 0:36:33 | 0:36:38 | |
These are frozen meals that are delivered to the elderly people once a fortnight. | 0:36:38 | 0:36:43 | |
A van turns up and offloads 14 meals, says, "Cheerio, see you in a fortnight's time", end of story. | 0:36:43 | 0:36:50 | |
-Look at that! What's that? -Oh, that's fat! | 0:36:50 | 0:36:54 | |
I think it's pork fat. I'm not 100% sure. | 0:36:54 | 0:36:57 | |
-You have to bear in mind, this is your main meal. This is as good as it gets. -Oh, this is awful! | 0:36:58 | 0:37:03 | |
If those meals were delivered to your mum, OK? | 0:37:03 | 0:37:07 | |
In a fortnight's supply, she has to pull it out of the freezer. | 0:37:07 | 0:37:10 | |
Would you be happy if she had to eat those every day? | 0:37:10 | 0:37:13 | |
Not really. I think this is more what you'd get in prison, to be honest. | 0:37:14 | 0:37:18 | |
Not that I've been in prison, but I imagine prisoners would get this. | 0:37:18 | 0:37:22 | |
'Now we've got their attention, it's an ideal opportunity | 0:37:22 | 0:37:25 | |
'for Grace and her fellow volunteers to canvas for some fresh blood.' | 0:37:25 | 0:37:30 | |
The difference is, that when we turn up, every day - 365 days a year - | 0:37:30 | 0:37:35 | |
we turn up with a hot meal | 0:37:35 | 0:37:37 | |
and they get somebody who comes in and cares about whether they're all right. | 0:37:37 | 0:37:41 | |
You know, keeps an eye on them. | 0:37:41 | 0:37:43 | |
So there's a little bit of human contact as well, which is very important for old people. | 0:37:43 | 0:37:47 | |
And we're lacking in volunteers. | 0:37:47 | 0:37:50 | |
We can't get people to volunteer to do it. | 0:37:50 | 0:37:53 | |
If there was something that you could do, to make a difference to that, would you do it? | 0:37:53 | 0:37:59 | |
Yes. | 0:37:59 | 0:38:00 | |
You would? You all would do it? | 0:38:00 | 0:38:02 | |
OK, if we asked you for two hours of your time, every fortnight, | 0:38:02 | 0:38:06 | |
to make a difference to vulnerable people's lives, would you do it? | 0:38:06 | 0:38:09 | |
I would. | 0:38:09 | 0:38:10 | |
-You would? OK. -Especially after eating that! | 0:38:10 | 0:38:12 | |
-That's one, two, three, four, five volunteers. -Yeah. | 0:38:12 | 0:38:16 | |
'Five potential volunteers isn't bad for a start. | 0:38:16 | 0:38:19 | |
'While we're here, we're keen to pick the brains of head chef Jason. | 0:38:19 | 0:38:22 | |
'He produces this great food for just £2 a head.' | 0:38:22 | 0:38:26 | |
'But what could he do with the super-tight Elmbridge budget?' | 0:38:26 | 0:38:31 | |
Just out of interest, if you had £1.25, | 0:38:31 | 0:38:35 | |
could you produce 40 fresh meals out for that money? | 0:38:35 | 0:38:42 | |
Yeah, easily. | 0:38:42 | 0:38:43 | |
-Easily? -Not a problem. | 0:38:43 | 0:38:44 | |
I've also worked in a school, where I was on 55p budget, per pupil, | 0:38:44 | 0:38:50 | |
and I still produced decent food for that money. | 0:38:50 | 0:38:54 | |
So £1.25, that's quite a lot anyway and you could easily do it. | 0:38:54 | 0:38:58 | |
'Galvanised by eager volunteers and the knowledge that cooking great-tasting, fresh meals | 0:39:00 | 0:39:05 | |
'can be achieved on a budget, we're raring to kick-start our campaign.' | 0:39:05 | 0:39:11 | |
'We want to make the Elmbridge service the gold standard, | 0:39:11 | 0:39:15 | |
'transforming their image, volunteer force and menus | 0:39:15 | 0:39:18 | |
'into a shining example to inspire others across the UK. | 0:39:18 | 0:39:23 | |
'And we want to start with what we know best - the food.' | 0:39:23 | 0:39:29 | |
I think we know what we've got to do. | 0:39:30 | 0:39:32 | |
-But the question is, are they up for doing it? -We'll find out. -Aye. | 0:39:32 | 0:39:37 | |
Ladies, we want you to have an open mind to what we're going to say. | 0:39:37 | 0:39:41 | |
The key thing is we want you to go fresh. | 0:39:41 | 0:39:45 | |
It's going to mean a little bit more work, | 0:39:45 | 0:39:47 | |
but we want to get you cooking again, we want to get you cooking, | 0:39:47 | 0:39:51 | |
cos that's dead important. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:52 | |
We want the passion for what you do and the service you offer into that food. | 0:39:52 | 0:39:57 | |
-Yeah. -Yeah? -Yeah. -What I think we both feel in our hearts, | 0:39:57 | 0:40:00 | |
it's the personal touch with the volunteers and the cooking | 0:40:00 | 0:40:03 | |
that makes all the difference in the world. | 0:40:03 | 0:40:06 | |
We reckon that if we can make it the best we possibly can, | 0:40:06 | 0:40:11 | |
then nobody can touch the Meals On Wheels service. | 0:40:11 | 0:40:14 | |
-And that's what we want. -Sisters of Mercy, are you with us? -Oh, definitely. | 0:40:14 | 0:40:19 | |
Come on! Right, that's it, fives, all the way round! | 0:40:19 | 0:40:21 | |
'Lesley and Julie have been cooking from frozen for donkey's years.' | 0:40:21 | 0:40:25 | |
Now we want to get them cooking fresh, delicious food five days a week. | 0:40:27 | 0:40:32 | |
From tomorrow, no more instant mash, custard made with dried milk powder, | 0:40:32 | 0:40:38 | |
no sit down tea breaks, or frozen sprouts. | 0:40:38 | 0:40:42 | |
But it's a huge ask for our freezer queens. | 0:40:42 | 0:40:46 | |
Yeah, we're a bit nervous and apprehensive. | 0:40:47 | 0:40:50 | |
It's going to be more work, prep-wise. | 0:40:50 | 0:40:53 | |
Cooking should be fine, but getting everything ready on time... | 0:40:53 | 0:40:56 | |
will be a challenge. | 0:40:56 | 0:40:58 | |
After today's Meals On Wheels have gone, | 0:41:00 | 0:41:02 | |
we want to set about transforming their menu. | 0:41:02 | 0:41:05 | |
Starting with a couple of simple fresh dishes we think the old folk will love. | 0:41:05 | 0:41:12 | |
You know that horrendous chicken pie that we had a taste of from that frozen thing? | 0:41:14 | 0:41:20 | |
We've got our own chicken and mushroom pie. So we're going to start on that one. | 0:41:20 | 0:41:24 | |
It's just full of flavour, and it's going to be packed with chicken. | 0:41:24 | 0:41:29 | |
'Today's trial recipes will be tasted by a VIP panel, | 0:41:29 | 0:41:32 | |
'chaired by Julie's boss, so we've had to work hard | 0:41:32 | 0:41:36 | |
'to keep each meal not just tasty, but strictly within the £1.25 budget. | 0:41:36 | 0:41:43 | |
'For our chicken pie, we're using cheap but tasty thighs. | 0:41:43 | 0:41:46 | |
'Each portion will cost just 75 pence.' | 0:41:46 | 0:41:49 | |
Now that seems a decent amount of chicken, compared to the fragments we had in that frozen pie. | 0:41:51 | 0:41:56 | |
I think people are going to love this. | 0:41:56 | 0:41:59 | |
'Lesley's first job is to brown off the floured, seasoned chicken.' | 0:41:59 | 0:42:03 | |
The natural reaction when you put something into a pan is to move it. Don't. | 0:42:04 | 0:42:08 | |
Let it seal, so you're not ripping skin off the bottom of the pan, yeah? | 0:42:08 | 0:42:12 | |
'At a cost of just 19 pence, we'll be serving fresh carrots, leeks and mashed potato. | 0:42:12 | 0:42:18 | |
'This kitchen hasn't seen this many fresh veg in years.' | 0:42:18 | 0:42:23 | |
And honestly, our mashed potato, Julie, is like an albino rabbit that's been in a tumble dryer. | 0:42:23 | 0:42:29 | |
Fluffed. Fluffed! To an inch of its life, it is! | 0:42:29 | 0:42:31 | |
'It's a whole new way of working for this kitchen. | 0:42:31 | 0:42:34 | |
'If the girls are going to get 40-plus portions of fresh food | 0:42:34 | 0:42:38 | |
'out to the old folk, we need to get them cooking confidently, meticulously and fast.' | 0:42:38 | 0:42:44 | |
Just to take stock, we've got the potatoes done, | 0:42:44 | 0:42:48 | |
we have the pastry made, we have the pie filling made, we have the veg prepped - | 0:42:48 | 0:42:52 | |
20 minutes, that's all it's taken. | 0:42:52 | 0:42:54 | |
'In times hen we're all feeling the pinch, these aren't just good Meals On Wheels recipes, | 0:42:54 | 0:42:59 | |
'they'd make a great, hearty cheap lunch for anybody.' | 0:42:59 | 0:43:03 | |
-Look at that. -Lovely. -Our first pie! It's a proper pie, isn't it? -Yeah. | 0:43:03 | 0:43:08 | |
'We've transformed the chicken pie. Next, we're going to revolutionise Lesley's custard. | 0:43:09 | 0:43:16 | |
'For the last 13 years, she's been making it with powdered milk and water.' | 0:43:16 | 0:43:21 | |
You know your custard recipe? You're going, "I know me custard recipe!" | 0:43:21 | 0:43:25 | |
-Yes, I know you do, but I don't care. I want you to use milk. -Yeah. | 0:43:25 | 0:43:30 | |
Keep going. | 0:43:32 | 0:43:34 | |
Stop. | 0:43:34 | 0:43:35 | |
Right. | 0:43:35 | 0:43:37 | |
Have a taste. See what the level of sugar's like. | 0:43:37 | 0:43:40 | |
-Nice, eh? -Mm. | 0:43:42 | 0:43:44 | |
Nearly as good as mine(!) | 0:43:44 | 0:43:47 | |
-No, it is good. -It's good. Why is it good? | 0:43:47 | 0:43:50 | |
Cos it's been made with proper milk. | 0:43:50 | 0:43:52 | |
Yeah. Big, fat F-R-E-S-H - fresh. | 0:43:52 | 0:43:59 | |
Look at me in the eyes. Tell me that you're never, ever, ever | 0:44:00 | 0:44:03 | |
going to use milk powder again, when making... | 0:44:03 | 0:44:06 | |
I'm never, ever going to use milk powder again. | 0:44:06 | 0:44:08 | |
Give me a look at your hands, cos if you're crossing them... | 0:44:08 | 0:44:11 | |
Thank you. | 0:44:11 | 0:44:12 | |
'We're serving our new creamy custard with a traditional syrup and lemon sponge, | 0:44:13 | 0:44:19 | |
'costing just 22 pence a portion.' | 0:44:19 | 0:44:22 | |
Oh, it's like a duvet of pudding love! | 0:44:22 | 0:44:24 | |
'And we're determined to make our proper mash | 0:44:28 | 0:44:30 | |
'better than their favoured instant variety, by a country mile.' | 0:44:30 | 0:44:35 | |
Mash in sort of butch sort of fashion. | 0:44:35 | 0:44:39 | |
Because do you know what? Do you know what, you horrible little man? | 0:44:39 | 0:44:43 | |
If I find a lump in that mash, you're for it! 15 press-ups. | 0:44:43 | 0:44:47 | |
-That's bloody good mash. -Isn't it? | 0:44:51 | 0:44:53 | |
'Waiting to pass verdict on our new, fresh lunch is our panel of exacting tasters.' | 0:44:54 | 0:45:00 | |
'Julie's boss, Kim, | 0:45:00 | 0:45:03 | |
'Meals On Wheels clients Mr and Mrs Phillips, | 0:45:03 | 0:45:06 | |
'and a lady who's sent out more Meals On Wheels than we've had hot dinners, our Gladys.' | 0:45:06 | 0:45:12 | |
Four plates. Thank you. | 0:45:12 | 0:45:15 | |
'The whole meal has come in 9 pence under the £1.25 budget. | 0:45:15 | 0:45:21 | |
'But have we persuaded the cooks it's been worth the extra effort?' | 0:45:21 | 0:45:25 | |
The pastry is so buttery. Really short. | 0:45:25 | 0:45:29 | |
-What do you think of the filling? -It tastes lovely. | 0:45:29 | 0:45:33 | |
'The girls are impressed, but our sense of taste often dulls with old age. | 0:45:33 | 0:45:38 | |
'If we haven't done enough to excite the panel's palates, | 0:45:38 | 0:45:42 | |
'our plans to deliver the first all-fresh meals to the borough's old folk, | 0:45:42 | 0:45:45 | |
'will be dead in the water.' | 0:45:45 | 0:45:47 | |
Now, when we first came here, one thing we were shocked with, | 0:45:48 | 0:45:52 | |
and we've brought an example, was the frozen chicken pie. | 0:45:52 | 0:45:56 | |
We thought it was horrid. So we've made our chicken pie to the price. | 0:45:56 | 0:46:00 | |
-Can we try that now? -Please do, Gladys. | 0:46:00 | 0:46:04 | |
-What do you think, Gladys? -It's beautiful. -Yes! | 0:46:06 | 0:46:11 | |
-The potato... Is there something special in the potatoes? -Just potatoes. -It's just potatoes. | 0:46:11 | 0:46:16 | |
How we normally do potatoes? They're just really fresh and really light and fluffy. | 0:46:16 | 0:46:21 | |
The chicken is really tender, isn't it? Very nice flavour, I must say. | 0:46:21 | 0:46:26 | |
It's got lovely taste, everything. It's not bland. | 0:46:26 | 0:46:29 | |
That's what it's about, giving people | 0:46:29 | 0:46:31 | |
a highlight of the day, that they look forward to eating something. | 0:46:31 | 0:46:35 | |
-Very nice. -I'm lost for words. No, it's gorgeous. Thank you. | 0:46:35 | 0:46:38 | |
-Would you be happy if that was delivered on your Meals On Wheels? -I certainly would, yes. | 0:46:38 | 0:46:42 | |
-I should say so! -Good. | 0:46:42 | 0:46:46 | |
Oh, crikey! | 0:46:46 | 0:46:47 | |
Izzy busy, let's get busy! | 0:46:47 | 0:46:50 | |
'They love the mains, but what will they think of our pud?' | 0:46:50 | 0:46:53 | |
Yes! | 0:46:53 | 0:46:55 | |
I shouldn't eat this! | 0:46:56 | 0:46:57 | |
-The lemon flavouring is particularly nice. -Absolutely delicious. | 0:46:59 | 0:47:03 | |
Thank you. | 0:47:03 | 0:47:04 | |
It just melts. | 0:47:04 | 0:47:06 | |
So ladies, gentleman, what do we think overall? | 0:47:06 | 0:47:09 | |
You can come anytime. Bring that along as often as you like. | 0:47:09 | 0:47:14 | |
-These two lovely ladies. -They've done very well. -They have. -They've done brilliantly. | 0:47:14 | 0:47:18 | |
They have done brilliantly. And I think they deserve a big round of applause. | 0:47:18 | 0:47:22 | |
Thank you. | 0:47:22 | 0:47:23 | |
APPLAUSE | 0:47:23 | 0:47:25 | |
Fantastic, girls, really. | 0:47:25 | 0:47:27 | |
Hopefully we can do a hell of a lot of good. | 0:47:27 | 0:47:30 | |
It's been the first small steps forward. And it's very, very exciting. | 0:47:30 | 0:47:34 | |
But is the boss really convinced? | 0:47:36 | 0:47:39 | |
I thought it was fantastic. And if that's what we can produce within budget, | 0:47:39 | 0:47:43 | |
then we'll definitely look at it. But the girls are under pressure, | 0:47:43 | 0:47:47 | |
and getting those meals out hot and delivered to people, is one of my biggest concerns. | 0:47:47 | 0:47:53 | |
BOTH: Absolutely shattered! | 0:47:53 | 0:47:57 | |
It's hard to be enthusiastic when you're dead on your feet. | 0:47:57 | 0:48:00 | |
Today we want Julie and Lesley to take the reins and prove to Kim | 0:48:03 | 0:48:08 | |
that making Elmbridge an all-fresh Meals On Wheels service really is a realistic goal. | 0:48:08 | 0:48:13 | |
But until they've done a proper run on their own, we just won't know. | 0:48:13 | 0:48:17 | |
This is the big one. It's out onto the streets today. | 0:48:19 | 0:48:23 | |
We've had a bit of a disaster though, which has added to the pressure. | 0:48:23 | 0:48:27 | |
-Dreadful. -It's... | 0:48:27 | 0:48:29 | |
-The key cook... -Julie. -Our Jules... | 0:48:31 | 0:48:35 | |
Well, she's been carted off to hospital. | 0:48:35 | 0:48:37 | |
Lesley is very committed to what she's doing. | 0:48:37 | 0:48:41 | |
But she is as nervous as hell. | 0:48:41 | 0:48:43 | |
I woke up at four o'clock thinking, | 0:48:43 | 0:48:45 | |
"I'm going to be sick, I don't want to go in." | 0:48:45 | 0:48:47 | |
I just... I hate it. I just really was not up for it this morning. | 0:48:47 | 0:48:51 | |
It was like that. It was really bad. I come in and said to Kim, | 0:48:51 | 0:48:54 | |
"I feel sick, I don't want to do this. I want to go home." | 0:48:54 | 0:48:57 | |
-Hey-hey! Are you all right, Les? -Hiya. -Hello. | 0:48:57 | 0:49:02 | |
-I think it's fair to say that you're focused. -Just. | 0:49:02 | 0:49:06 | |
'Julie is recovering, but she needs rest, | 0:49:06 | 0:49:09 | |
'so Lesley's in charge. She's got just three hours to get over 40 portions | 0:49:09 | 0:49:13 | |
'of fresh chicken pie and puds prepped, cooked and ready to go.' | 0:49:13 | 0:49:19 | |
-Les? -Yeah? -How many leeks do we want? | 0:49:19 | 0:49:23 | |
-Erm... -'There's no way we're going to do this without some help, | 0:49:24 | 0:49:27 | |
'so Lesley's dragged in Mandy and Andrea in from the office to chop the veg. | 0:49:27 | 0:49:32 | |
'It's all hands to the pumps.' | 0:49:32 | 0:49:36 | |
Look at this, man. This is perfect. | 0:49:37 | 0:49:39 | |
Look at that, look at Glad's browning. Brilliant, that, mate. | 0:49:39 | 0:49:43 | |
I'm usually in the sink. | 0:49:43 | 0:49:45 | |
I'm doing some of this now. | 0:49:46 | 0:49:48 | |
It's quite exciting for me. | 0:49:49 | 0:49:51 | |
'Gladys is rising to the occasion, | 0:49:51 | 0:49:54 | |
'but Lesley's got her sums wrong scaling up the lemon sponge mixture.' | 0:49:54 | 0:49:59 | |
Shit. Shit. | 0:49:59 | 0:50:02 | |
'We only put half the flour and half the eggs in. | 0:50:03 | 0:50:06 | |
'The mixture wasn't going as far as it should do.' | 0:50:06 | 0:50:08 | |
A cock up! | 0:50:08 | 0:50:10 | |
SHE LAUGHS | 0:50:10 | 0:50:11 | |
The thing is, we keep the mistakes in the kitchen, not on the plate. | 0:50:11 | 0:50:15 | |
'We've got just under 45 minutes before we've got to start plating up.' | 0:50:15 | 0:50:20 | |
There's a lot to remember, doing it this way. | 0:50:20 | 0:50:23 | |
'We can't keep the elderly of Elmbridge waiting.' | 0:50:23 | 0:50:27 | |
It's half nine, guys. How are we doing? | 0:50:28 | 0:50:31 | |
Another quarter of an hour. Got to get the puddings in. | 0:50:31 | 0:50:36 | |
Slap it in... | 0:50:36 | 0:50:38 | |
-and it's five minutes. And that's it. That's our pudding. -Super dupe. | 0:50:38 | 0:50:42 | |
'The pies are almost ready, but before they go in the oven we need to check the boss is happy.' | 0:50:42 | 0:50:47 | |
What do you think? I think that's better than before. | 0:50:47 | 0:50:50 | |
Look at that. Please, God, I've made it big enough. | 0:50:50 | 0:50:54 | |
-Right, they're in the oven! -Wahey! | 0:50:57 | 0:51:00 | |
You know what, Lesley? It's suddenly struck me... | 0:51:00 | 0:51:03 | |
if we did frozen food, it'd be so much more efficient, wouldn't it?! | 0:51:03 | 0:51:06 | |
SI LAUGHS | 0:51:06 | 0:51:08 | |
-It wouldn't taste as nice though, would it? -It wouldn't be as nice. | 0:51:08 | 0:51:11 | |
Oh, we'd be drinking tea now! | 0:51:11 | 0:51:14 | |
-Please don't drop this, please don't drop this. Number one! -Brilliant. | 0:51:14 | 0:51:20 | |
These would need to be in the hot box at quarter to 11 for three quarters of an hour. | 0:51:20 | 0:51:24 | |
-50 minutes to do 40. -Yeah. -Blooming heck. | 0:51:24 | 0:51:27 | |
-Sorry! -Gang, our first Meals On Wheels. It looks like a proper dinner. | 0:51:30 | 0:51:35 | |
The place smells of chicken. it doesn't smell of catering. | 0:51:37 | 0:51:41 | |
-It smells of home cooking in here. -Glad... don't throw that away. | 0:51:41 | 0:51:45 | |
-Chef's perks. -You're nibbling on it already! | 0:51:45 | 0:51:49 | |
-Right, the first pudding's out. -Have you got your puddings out again?! | 0:51:51 | 0:51:55 | |
-Like a well-oiled machine here. Are these done, Kingy? -Yeah, mate. | 0:51:55 | 0:52:00 | |
Today's 47 fresh Meals On Wheels, ready to go out, just in time for lunch. | 0:52:00 | 0:52:07 | |
Beautiful. Beautiful! | 0:52:07 | 0:52:10 | |
That's it. We were one person down, a very key person. | 0:52:10 | 0:52:15 | |
-We've managed to do it. Are you proud of yourselves? -I am very proud. Proud of my team. | 0:52:15 | 0:52:20 | |
-What a team. -We've done it, haven't we? | 0:52:20 | 0:52:22 | |
-Yeah, we have. -Let's get the food out onto the streets! | 0:52:22 | 0:52:25 | |
-Come on! -Yes! -Come on. | 0:52:25 | 0:52:27 | |
I think Julie will be very proud of me, yes. | 0:52:27 | 0:52:30 | |
I'm proud of myself at the minute. | 0:52:32 | 0:52:34 | |
-Do you want tea or coffee? -Coffee, please, with two sugars. | 0:52:34 | 0:52:37 | |
-Two sugars, chef! -Two sugars. Thank you, chef. | 0:52:37 | 0:52:41 | |
'The first fresh Meals On Wheels from Elmbridge will be delivered by our old friend, Grace.' | 0:52:41 | 0:52:48 | |
-Grace, I've got the boxes! -Oh, good! | 0:52:48 | 0:52:51 | |
We need the boxes or else we can't deliver the food! | 0:52:51 | 0:52:54 | |
You came down those stairs like a film star. | 0:52:54 | 0:52:57 | |
To mark this auspicious occasion, she'll be escorted by a couple of VIPs. | 0:52:57 | 0:53:03 | |
-Ooh! -Good morning, Grace. -Mr Mayor. How nice to see you. | 0:53:03 | 0:53:07 | |
-How are you this morning? -I'm very well. | 0:53:07 | 0:53:09 | |
The mayor and his wife add a welcome bit of bling, but what's most important here is the food. | 0:53:09 | 0:53:16 | |
If the old folk of Elmbridge aren't impressed, | 0:53:16 | 0:53:19 | |
big boss Kim sure as hell won't let us take this campaign any further. | 0:53:19 | 0:53:23 | |
Hello. Lovely to see you. | 0:53:23 | 0:53:26 | |
I think you're quite honoured. You're getting the very first one of these meals that's come out today. | 0:53:26 | 0:53:32 | |
-Yeah. -It's lovely. Thank you. -Not at all. You're very welcome. | 0:53:32 | 0:53:36 | |
And we'd love to hear what you think. | 0:53:36 | 0:53:38 | |
Come on, lads. | 0:53:38 | 0:53:40 | |
'We're praying our fresh food survives the rounds with integrity. | 0:53:41 | 0:53:44 | |
'Cold chicken pie and soggy pastry won't get the old folks' seal of approval.' | 0:53:44 | 0:53:49 | |
Good afternoon, sir. | 0:53:49 | 0:53:50 | |
Everything is prepared from fresh. I hope you enjoy our chicken pie. | 0:53:50 | 0:53:54 | |
I was hoping it might be pheasant! | 0:53:54 | 0:53:56 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:53:56 | 0:53:58 | |
'Well, clearly we've raised expectations!' | 0:53:58 | 0:54:01 | |
DOORBELL RINGS | 0:54:01 | 0:54:02 | |
'But will the new food live up to them?' | 0:54:02 | 0:54:06 | |
-Hi, Mrs Wells, we've brought your lunch. -Good morning. | 0:54:06 | 0:54:09 | |
Now, you've got a special meal today. It was cooked by the Hairy Bikers. | 0:54:10 | 0:54:14 | |
-Was it? It should be good, then. -Yes, it should be. -They've had enough practice on TV. | 0:54:14 | 0:54:20 | |
That's very nice indeed. | 0:54:20 | 0:54:23 | |
Chicken pie. Knife and fork all at the ready. Yes. | 0:54:24 | 0:54:30 | |
We've got a fresh Meals On Wheels lunch from Elmbridge. | 0:54:30 | 0:54:36 | |
-Oh, good. -So how do you feel about that? -I'm hungry. | 0:54:36 | 0:54:39 | |
Great. Let's see what you think. | 0:54:39 | 0:54:41 | |
'Once they've had time to digest their thoughts, | 0:54:45 | 0:54:48 | |
'we head back to get a few early reactions to the new food.' | 0:54:48 | 0:54:52 | |
-Was it noticeably different? -I did, yes. -Very nice. | 0:54:52 | 0:54:56 | |
-Oh, it was the leeks. That's right. -Did you like them? -Yes. I've never had leeks before. | 0:54:56 | 0:55:01 | |
-Haven't you?! -No. Not, you know, not in my Meals On Wheels, no. | 0:55:01 | 0:55:06 | |
The chicken and mushroom pie, the pastry was delicious. | 0:55:06 | 0:55:09 | |
Thank you for what you've done. | 0:55:09 | 0:55:11 | |
-I enjoyed it. -Very nice chicken and mushroom pie, | 0:55:11 | 0:55:16 | |
with delicious pastry. | 0:55:16 | 0:55:19 | |
I ate all of it. | 0:55:19 | 0:55:21 | |
I'll give it 10 out of 10. | 0:55:21 | 0:55:23 | |
'Whilst we've been out Kim's been conducting a definitive survey of her own, | 0:55:23 | 0:55:29 | |
'contacting the clients to get their feedback.' | 0:55:29 | 0:55:32 | |
-And what's the results? -Come on, Kim. -Are we on a winner? | 0:55:35 | 0:55:39 | |
-We're on a winner. -Are we? -Yes! | 0:55:39 | 0:55:41 | |
That's brilliant. That's brilliant. Really? | 0:55:41 | 0:55:44 | |
They noticed there was fresh veg. And they loved it. | 0:55:44 | 0:55:49 | |
They were genuinely impressed with that meal today. | 0:55:49 | 0:55:52 | |
-Get in! -Excellent! -You're winning again. | 0:55:53 | 0:55:56 | |
Well done, Gladys. Oh, that's fantastic. | 0:55:56 | 0:56:00 | |
-Where's the girls? -This calls for... -..a celebratione! | 0:56:00 | 0:56:04 | |
You get the girls, I'll get the drink. | 0:56:04 | 0:56:07 | |
-Oh, hell! -Absent friends. Can't do a toast without Julie. | 0:56:07 | 0:56:12 | |
Cheers, Julie! | 0:56:12 | 0:56:14 | |
We've done it, girl, we've done it! | 0:56:14 | 0:56:17 | |
Lesley cannot say nowt, cos she's crying. | 0:56:17 | 0:56:20 | |
-You did great, Lesley. -You did do great. | 0:56:20 | 0:56:22 | |
Julie would have liked a drop of this! | 0:56:22 | 0:56:25 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:56:25 | 0:56:26 | |
-She would actually, yeah. -I am just so proud of you guys. | 0:56:26 | 0:56:29 | |
-I am so proud. -Good. -It's the future. | 0:56:29 | 0:56:33 | |
I listened to those people on the end of the phone and I heard what they said. | 0:56:33 | 0:56:37 | |
-So, yeah. -Fantastic. | 0:56:37 | 0:56:40 | |
'Kim has given our first steps towards going fresh her cautious seal of approval.' | 0:56:40 | 0:56:44 | |
-Cheers! -Well done. | 0:56:44 | 0:56:46 | |
'But we've still got a hell of a long way to go.' | 0:56:46 | 0:56:49 | |
'Next time, we continue our epic quest | 0:56:51 | 0:56:54 | |
'to revive traditional Meals On Wheels across the country.' | 0:56:54 | 0:56:59 | |
Feed the world. I feel like Bob Geldof. | 0:56:59 | 0:57:03 | |
'Can we get one of the UK's top creative agencies | 0:57:03 | 0:57:06 | |
'to transform Meals On Wheels' moth-eaten image | 0:57:06 | 0:57:10 | |
'into a successful 21st-century brand?' | 0:57:10 | 0:57:14 | |
-Can Saatchi do better? -I can't see any creative agency | 0:57:14 | 0:57:17 | |
who wouldn't want to work on such an incredible initiative. | 0:57:17 | 0:57:20 | |
'Will the Elmbridge cooks be able to step up a massive gear and go fresh five days a week?' | 0:57:20 | 0:57:27 | |
It is a bit of a nightmare. I am having quite a few sleepless nights. | 0:57:27 | 0:57:30 | |
Got it! We are going to build the biggest Meals On Wheels in the world. | 0:57:30 | 0:57:36 | |
'We'll put our reputations on the line | 0:57:36 | 0:57:39 | |
'to entice an eager young army of volunteers to make Meals On Wheels | 0:57:39 | 0:57:42 | |
'bigger and better than it's ever been.' | 0:57:42 | 0:57:46 | |
The world's biggest Meals On Wheels! | 0:57:46 | 0:57:48 | |
Free pie and cake! Take your fingers out of your ears! | 0:57:48 | 0:57:52 | |
Will the local people support us? I bloody hope so. | 0:57:52 | 0:57:56 | |
'For the sake of our grandparents, our parents and ourselves, | 0:57:56 | 0:58:01 | |
'volunteers are desperately needed to revive Meals On Wheels right across the UK.' | 0:58:01 | 0:58:06 | |
If you've been inspired to help, there's loads of ways, | 0:58:06 | 0:58:09 | |
up and down the country, you can get involved. | 0:58:09 | 0:58:11 | |
Just visit our website to find lots of great recipes | 0:58:11 | 0:58:14 | |
and all the information you need | 0:58:14 | 0:58:16 | |
if you're interested in volunteering to help older people in your area. | 0:58:16 | 0:58:21 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:58:46 | 0:58:49 | |
Email [email protected] | 0:58:49 | 0:58:52 |