Business · India Bureau
UK-based Caribbean restaurateur feeds hungry, honoured as local hero
Florence 'Mama Flo' Coke, a 71-year-old entrepreneur running a Caribbean takeaway in northern England, has earned widespread recognition for her charitable work providing free meals to those in financial hardship. Her efforts have now been formally acknowledged with a Local Hero award.
LSN India ·
Coke operates her takeaway business in Stockport, Greater Manchester, where she has established a practice of offering complimentary meals to individuals and families unable to afford food. The initiative draws inspiration from her parents' long-standing commitment to assisting the poor during her childhood in Jamaica, a values system she has carried into her adult life and business operations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Coke intensified her charitable efforts, distributing free meals and food parcels to struggling households across her community as lockdowns and economic disruption deepened financial pressures on vulnerable families. Rather than scaling back operations, she expanded her outreach to meet the heightened demand for assistance.
Her dedication to community welfare has not gone unnoticed. Coke has been formally recognised with a Local Hero award, acknowledging her sustained commitment to addressing food insecurity and supporting her neighbours. The recognition underscores the significant impact individual business owners can have on community resilience when motivated by compassion and social responsibility.