Food Hygiene
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https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business/en-gb/367177/White-Hart-Doncaster
Dec 2022
06/02/2021
A landlady in Doncaster has been doing her bit to help hundreds of vulnerable people in her village during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rita Cox, who is licensee at the White Hart pub in Wadworth, was determined to keep spirits up during the lockdown and has been providing hot meals for those in need.
During the past year she decided to cook up and deliver 400 hot meals every week to those most in need in her village.
Since then she has only had three days off in her bid to do her bit to help the local community.
Together a team of just three at the pub cooked and delivered 400 hot homemade meals each week within a four mile radius of the pub.
And, if customers were shielding, the team would also check to see if they were OK and gave them the pub telephone number in case they needed any essentials like bread and eggs.
With the village shop just opposite Rita would also buy basic items for those shielding and deliver it to them with their meals.
Rita says: “Loneliness and isolation have affected so many across Yorkshire these last 12 months exacerbated by the closure of pubs.
"Pubs like The White Hart are much more than places to have a pint and a meal, they’re hubs of their communities and a lifeline for many, providing somewhere for people to enjoy what might be their only social interaction for the day or even week.
"It is why it has been so important for us to keep the community spirit alive and support residents during this challenging time.
"I am in the pub every day and have spread the word that I’m here if any needs anything or just wants a chat.
"Keeping in contact via food deliveries is better than no contact, but I for one can’t wait to open the doors and welcome customers back into The White Hart again as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Those wanting hot meals are offered a choice of six hearty dishes and charged £5 a head.
The pub also offers a collection service for those wanting a meal based further afield.
Rita has only taken three days off in the last year, one of which was Christmas Day.
And although she says she has found it challenging, she feels a sense of achievement that she has given back to the community whose pub she has run for the last 35 years.
A new report launched recently has revealed the important and positive role pubs play in their communities and on people's wellbeing.
Listen to Rita / BBC Radio Sheffield Interview's05/02/
Children’s drawings hung in Doncaster pub
window to lift villagers spirits
23/3/2020
A Doncaster pub has hung children’s drawings in its windows to make residents smile, as it vows to help the community by selling take away meals at a reduced rate for the elderly.
Rita Cox is the landlady of The White Hart pub in Wadworth and she and her staff have adorned the building with flags and children’s drawings to make passers-by and village residents smile.
She said: “It was my assistant manager's idea - we give children drawing materials at the table to pacify them and we always keep them.
“We decided to put them up in the windows to lift people’s spirits a little.
“The village pub is the heart of the community and we want to serve ours even if we can’t be open.”
Children in the Wadworth village have been bringing in more artwork to add to the windows since they were put up.
Rita has been adding their names and phone numbers to them so that when they re-open to the public she can do a raffle with prizes.
The pub has started delivering food in the Wadworth, Balby and Tickhill areas.
“I’ve run pubs for 35 years and I’m thinking about the community - until the government says that I can’t do this I am.”
The pub delivered 150 meals on Sunday, March 22 and Rita has no plans to slow down.
She said: “If I’m still ordering food from my suppliers then it will have a positive knock-on effect on them - my vegetable man told me his trade was down 70 per cent last week.”
If you want to order a meal from the pub you can call them on 01302 857622.
They are available from 12 - 8pm daily.