Eat Well MCR, the organisation started by chef Mary Ellen McTague in April 2020, at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, are delighted to welcome long standing MIF MD Christine Cort to their board of directors.
In her most recent role as Managing Director of the Manchester International Festival (MIF), Christine has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to Eat Well MCR, as the social enterprise continues its mission to offer care and support to vulnerable people across Greater Manchester through the provision of delicious meals made by local chefs.
Christine joins Mary Ellen McTague (The Creameries), David Fox (Tampopo), Paul Jones (Cloudwater), Gemma Saunders (Things That Go On Things), Richard Carver (Honest Crust) and Kathleen O’Connor (KO Consulting), as they focus on refining their self-sustaining financial model and establishing Eat Well MCR’s first permanent home. She has expressed ‘joy and excitement’ towards her new role, saying;
“I hope that with my years of experience sitting on the boards of various businesses, I’ll be able to offer this incredible organisation some support as they grow and change. My passion for food is not undocumented, and the opportunity to work with such a broad selection of makers, growers, chefs and volunteers makes me feel so very lucky. I have a lot to learn about how food poverty affects Greater Manchester and I can’t wait to get started.”
Recognised by the Sunday Times in the ‘Altruistic and Compassionate’ segment of their 2018 ‘Alternative Rich List’ for her commitment to creating a quantum of arts and culture activity, funding and focus in Manchester – Christine has been one of the most significant forces in making Manchester Britain’s cultural capital.
Eat Well MCR’s work in the community is funded by the Eat Well MCR Marketplace: an online delivery service of incredible food and drink from Manchester’s finest independent restaurants and food producers. Customers have enjoyed meal kits from a roll-call of Manchester’s best known restaurants and chefs including Michelin-starred Mana, Where The Light Gets In, Tast, Hispi, Tampopo, Elite Bistros, Erst, The Creameries, Dishoom, Honest Crust Pizzas and more. There are also organic veg boxes, Pollen and Holy Grain breads, cakes, pies and a pantry stocked with smoked salmon, cheeses and condiments, all locally sourced.
The Marketplace now reaches as far as M1 to M9, M11 to M23, M25, M27, M28, M30, M32 to M35, M40, M41, M43, M45, M50, SK1 to SK5 and SK8 WA13-15 following demand in the south Manchester and Cheshire areas.
Mary Ellen McTague said of the appointment;
“Having someone like Christine (literally) on board is something that we never foresaw when we set this up, via Zoom, a whole year ago. Eat Well MCR has changed lives, both the lives of those who need our services and the lives of those who have been involved. To bring in a woman with the knowledge and passion for both business and food that Christine has demonstrated in her years at the helm of MIF and previously Time Out Magazine makes me wonder happily where we might be in another year. One thing is for sure, Eat Well MCR is here for those who need us, for the long run.”
