Community Meals
How do I request the service?
To request the Community Meals you can either telephone or write to your local Access Team. They will take the detail of your request and pass the information to a social work team who will then arrange to visit you to make an assessment of your needs. You can make the request yourself, or any one of the following can do it on your behalf; a relative, a friend/neighbour, or your Doctor or District Nurse.
Cheshire West Community Meals Service is an important service supporting people to remain living independently at home by providing daily access to high quality nutritious meals.
Cheshire West and Chester Council is working in partnership with Apetito to deliver this service.
What is the Community Meals Service?
The Community Meals Service delivers hot meals to people living in their own homes who are unable to prepare and cook a hot meal.
The service is available 7 days a week 365 days a year including all bank holidays. You can decide how many days a week you receive a hot meal.
From your own personalised weekly menu, you will be able to choose from a varied range of meals (Download an example four week menu (PDF, 252KB). Special dietary needs can be fully catered for and a broad range of ethnic meals are available.
Your meal will be cooked en-route to your home in Apetito’s innovative Chefmobil. The Chefmobil has a computerised oven onboard, which heats each meal perfectly to its optimum delivery temperature. All meals should be eaten when delivered and not reheated.
You will be able to choose either soup and a main meal, or a main meal and dessert. The menu is changed regularly to offer you great choice and seasonal varieties.
Currently the Community Meals Service provides a lunch time service across the whole of Cheshire West and Chester. Meals are delivered between 11:45am and 1:45pm. Your meal will be delivered at a regular time.
We recognise that some people prefer to have their hot meal at tea time. In response to this we are developing a tea time delivery service. We then hope to extend the tea time service across the whole of Cheshire West and Chester.
Apetito also have a range of light foods available. Items such as salads, sandwiches, cakes and fruit can be purchased by private arrangement with Apetito for delivery with your hot meal. You can read more about the service in the welcome booklet (PDF, 678KB)
To find out more visit the Apetito website.
Who can get this service?
The Community Meals Service is available to people aged 18 and over who are unable to prepare and cook one hot meal a day. The service can be provided on a short term basis, for example to support recovery following a stay in hospital or on a long term basis.
How much does it cost?
There is a fixed charge of £3.10 per two course meal. Cheshire West and Chester Council will send you a bill every 4 weeks in arrears.
You can also purchase meals directly from Apetito as a private customer.
I want to receive this service. How do I get in touch?
If you think the service could be for you, or if you have a friend, neighbour or relative who may benefit from the Community Meals Service then please contact us. We can tell you more and advise you on eligibility.
Please contact Cheshire West and Chester Council Advice and Contact Team on 0300 123 8 123 and select Option 2 to request an assessment.
Alternatively you can contact Apetito direct on 01606 591 367 if you would like to know more about the service before contacting the Council or wish to purchase the service privately.
How do I cancel a meal?
Hot meals can be cancelled up to 10am on the day of delivery by contacting Apetito on Tel: 01606 591 367. Meals that are not cancelled will be charged for.