Sheffield's Proove works hard for the homeless

A city pizza restaurant is prooving itself a real community force, by its staunch support for a scheme to help the homeless.
Head chef Michele Magnotta at Proove with a magherita pizza. Picture: Andrew RoeHead chef Michele Magnotta at Proove with a magherita pizza. Picture: Andrew Roe
Head chef Michele Magnotta at Proove with a magherita pizza. Picture: Andrew Roe

Foodinate is a social enterprise scheme which asks restaurants to choose dishes on their menu, that when purchased, convert into free hot meals for local people in need.

The non-profit organisation has provided over 10,000 meals nationally since its 2016 launch.

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But Proove, Sheffield’s wood-fired pizza restaurant in Broomhill, has generated a staggering 1,028 meals alone in its first month running the initiative – compared to an impressive 300 monthly meals donated on average by other partners of Foodinate.

Deepak Jaiswal, Proove’s owner, said: “The importance of community is fundamental within our company and is one of our five key values that drives our business decisions.

“When we were approached about Foodinate, I knew instantly that this was something we wanted to do. Being able to provide meals to those in need is so rewarding.”

Combined with its sister restaurant in West Didsbury, Manchester, the Proove chain has provided a whopping 2,398 meals this month alone – setting a new record for the most meals donated in one month by a Foodinate partner.

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The flagship branch was awarded a trophy for its efforts to feed hot meals to people at Ben’s Centre on North Church Street, which provides services for vulnerable people.

Daryl Bishop, the centre’s senior practitioner, said that as a small charity, they fight to fund regular, nutritional meals.

He added: “Thanks to the dedication of Proove and Foodinate we can now put funding towards improving client’s lives in practical ways.”

Foodinate’s founder, Caroline Stevenson, is thrilled with how well her scheme is being delivered by participating eateries but said special recognition was due to Proove.

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Councillor Jayne Dunn, cabinet member for Neighbourhoods at Sheffield Council, said: “This just goes to show how generous people living in Sheffield are and I thank everyone who helped to provide a hot meal through this scheme.”

Any Yorkshire businesses interested in joining the scheme, should contact [email protected] for more information.