Mel’s Café on A1 southbound near Stretton offers free meals to Ukrainian lorry drivers

The owner of a roadside café is supporting Ukrainian lorry drivers with free meals.

Mel Fountain, who owns Mel’s Café off the A1 southbound near Stretton, was appalled at the conditions some lorry drivers were having to work in, with long shifts and a lack of food.

She has always provided complimentary food to any driver in need but after seeing the Ukraine crisis in the news and hearing about bank accounts being frozen, Mel issued a fresh reminder of her support.

Mel said; ‘I feel very passionate about lorry drivers.’

‘They are stuck out here but a lot of people don’t know this.’

‘Drivers normally have two weeks worth of food allowance so they are not only struggling to get back to their own country, they’re struggling to feed themselves.’

‘A lot of them sit at the side of the road eating from their lorry not because they want to but that’s just how their job goes.’

After putting a post on Facebook offering food to lorry drivers, it was shared more than 30,000 times, with a number of drivers taking Mel up on the offer.

‘What touched me was that a Ukrainian lorry driver came in and broke down in tears at the offer,’ the 49-year-old said.

‘They were very grateful for what we are doing.’

‘They showed me pictures of their family who are struggling to get back to.’

‘it made me feel very humbled.’

Since taking over the café 16 years ago, Mel has become friends with many lorry drivers who travel up and down the A1.

‘Some have become like close family. Although we are only a small café on a large road, it’s my duty to give something back,’ she said.

Mel knows drivers who was affected by the Greek ferry fire on February 18 and has since left appalled by the treatment they received after making it to safety.

‘They were left with no food, no medicine. I didn’t want the lorry drivers here thinking that’s ok.’

‘A lot have been dumped in Greece and have lost everything, which is so upsetting.’

‘I don’t want the lorry drivers thinking that we don’t support them.’

The Exton resident is encouraging other business owners to play their part and support those who are struggling.