INDEPENDENT sandwich shop, Newton Deli has been awarded the Lunch! Independent Retailer Community Award in recognition of their Covid-19 pandemic response.

Staff at Newton Deli based at their Wargrave Road branch and volunteers with their not for profit community organisation Nobody Should Be Hungry CIC have worked alongside other small businesses, community groups and residents to help coordinate and deliver a strong community response to the pandemic.

This work has been recognised by the judging panel at the British Sandwich and Food To Go Association, with the company being nominated, shortlisted and ultimately making the final of the prestigious national award, beating stiff competition from independent businesses up and down the country to secure the 2021 title.

The final was contended by The Deli Group - Newton Deli and Peabodys Coffee.

“It’s been an honour and a privilege to work alongside so many fantastic people, organisations, businesses and even celebrities to help our community through the most challenging twelve months we’ve ever faced” said Marc Faulkner, co-owner and director of The Deli Group, “but never did we expect to win an award for what has simply been a case of being a good neighbour. We’re very fortunate to have been in a position to help, to give something back to the community without whom we simply wouldn’t have a business, so that’s precisely what we did.”

During the course of the pandemic to date, Newton Deli have worked closely with Newton and Earlestown Community Group and The Victoria (Newton-Le-Willows) to deliver countless projects and initiatives, including producing and delivering in excess of 12 tonnes of food supplies to vulnerable residents who were shielding or self isolating, distributing FREE school uniform to hundreds of families across the borough, cooking Christmas Dinner for anybody who would otherwise go without, coordinating the local response to Marcus Rashford’s “Holiday Hunger” campaign, supplying FREE food and drink to all local NHS, social care and emergency services staff, offering free community meals regardless of circumstances and both financing and operating Newton Community Fridge on the simple basis of “No Questions, No Judgement, Nobody Should Be Hungry.”

The Deli Group also operate Dentons Deli on Greenfield Road, St Helens and Kopi Coffee on Market Street, Earlestown.