Dorchester Pizzeria serves up free meals to pensioners
Basilico has been supporting older people in the local community during the pandemic
A Dorchester restaurant has been serving up free meals to the over 75s during the pandemic.
Genaro Marzano owns Basilico in Trinity Street.
He told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
“I have to say Dorchester people, they have been supportive ever since the first day I moved into this little town.
“It is a huge difference because these elderly were completely scared of leaving their house and going to the supermarket to buy even the most common thing like toothpaste
“So imagine going out to buy themselves food. I have been in certain houses where a 90-year-old lady was there with the nearest relative living 90 miles away, and she was living without food.”
Now Genaro is planning to take take his businesses on the road to make sure he survives the economic challenges which all local businesses are facing due to the pandemic.
Basilico has launched a pizza van, kitted out with a pizza oven which can travel to rural parts of the county.
Genaro said:
“The goal is just reaching out for those rural places in Dorset, just places that literally no one wants to serve.
“It’s too far to reach with our drivers, I don’t think it’s fair for those people over there.”