Mark Burnett, left, and Police Chief DeWitt Cooper load boxes at the food pickup at God’s Storehouse in Galax. Bill Parks, volunteer coordinator for God’s Storehouse, is pictured. Volunteer Chauncey Robinson stops to check in with a driver as he directs the food distribution line’s traffic. Police Chief DeWitt Cooper pauses handing out boxes of food and supplies while new cars drive up in the distribution line.

MR TOAD meets the Mayor sounds like the title of a best-selling children’s book but was, in fact, reality when the River & Rowing Museum in Henley paid its dues. The giant character presented Mayor Michelle Thomas with a single red rose on the steps of the town hall as a symbol of the “peppercorn” rent that the museum in Mill Meadows pays the town council under its 99-year lease.

A garden centre business celebrating more than two decades of trade is seeking nominations of local causes worthy of a donation, to coincide with the milestone occasion. Celebrations are taking place this month at Cherry Lane in Long Melford – one of the three original sites in the garden centre group, which is now marking its 21st anniversary across 17 locations.

A CATERING business in Bix has been voted the best in England. Fingers and Forks won caterer of the year in the Food Awards as well as taking the South regional award for the second year. Debbie Cadman, who owns the company, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with the award, which signifies all the hard work the team has achieved, particularly after a challenging time for hospitality.

A FOOD festival in Henley was cancelled after the organiser said there was no appetite for it. The two-week-long Eat! Food Festival was due to begin on Saturday with events at different venues around the town. But Philippa Ratcliffe pulled the plug on the event, which began in 2019, because she says consumers’ eating out habits have changed.