A 76-year-old grandmother has been delivering thousands of free vegan meals to hospital workers and the elderly during the latest COVID-19 lockdowns.
Her name is Akila Chokkalingam, she started making gourmet curries from her kitchen after noticing that most dishes from the supermarket and takeaways lacked taste and nutrition.
She then launched her own brand Chef Akila with the help of a few nutritionists, health experts, and doctors, including her own son Dr. Senthil Kumar.
Chef Akila currently offers nine plant-based dishes being the most popular of them the Tikka Masala and Spinach dal Kootu.
The brand has seen a 680 percent increase in sales since the COVID-19 lockdown started.
As the pandemic continued, Akila started delivering curries to hospitals and offered discount coupons for subsidized prices to keyworkers. Curries were also dropped off to elderly and vulnerable people in the local area for free.
The company has donated more than 50,000 meals to children in India over the last year as part of its buy one – feed one initiative.
“It’s fantastic to see a company that is registered with the Vegan Trademark going above and beyond for those in need during what has been an incredibly difficult year.
“We’re delighted to hear that frontline workers and elderly and vulnerable people have been able to enjoy top quality and tasty vegan meals.”
Ericka Durgahee, Business Development Marketing Manager at The Vegan Society
