A Norfolk pub that has been offering free meals for children during half term has taken it a step further by making sure mum and dad don’t go hungry either.

The Angel is the oldest pub and restaurant in Loddon and is providing free meals for families during the half term break.

Unlike many other restaurants and pubs, The Angel have taken measures to offer their entire menu for children, mums and dads to choose from.

One mum who approached the pub had no phone credit, four children and an eight-month-old baby, one of whom is handicapped so she was unable to pick up meals from the pub.

The mum asked the pub whether they could include her eight-month-old baby in the offer and deliver. Staff at the pub took the order and on the way to making the delivery stopped at Boots to buy baby food and nappies.

Head chef, Rachel Reeve said: “We are known for our food being prepared fresh, nothing from the freezer and we even make all our own desserts and cakes from scratch on site.

“However, the reality was the families were more impressed with the fact it was food, it was hot, and there was plenty of it, that was all that mattered.”

Within hours of preparing the first few meals, it became clear that the offer of support had to be extended even further.

The pub management became aware of additional needs including other family members that fell outside of the school age support, and decided to do something extra.

Management also added that people have sent the pub donations which they are using to buy additional food tins for families.

An Angel spokesman said: “For these mums and dads, each day is a negotiation, each minute juggling with more financial demands than their finances can cope with. They go to bed, wake up, and it starts all over again.

“Behind every hungry child there is a hungry parent. They are heroes.”

The spokesman went onto say, “The Government has said there is funding support from the local council for these families, on the evidence we have seen, it looks like it’s not reaching them.”