Would-be rival Northampton pubs come together for good of community during coronavirus pandemic

Two Northampton pubs who would usually be rivals have come together to help those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Swan and Helmet and The Lamplighter have laid down their professional competitiveness for the good of vulnerable residents since March last year.

The Grove Road pub established a food bank within a week of the first lockdown and has been supporting others through the owner, Teresa McCarthy's, charity, the McCarthy-Dixon Foundation.

The charity has helped to feed an incredible 35,000 people since the first grocery packs were delivered 11 months ago.

While the Overstone Road local has donated almost £2,000 from a virtual Christmas music fundraiser and the team has been volunteering to sort and pack donations.

Lamplighter owner Paul Hanna said: “I have been absolutely amazed at the hard work and generosity that Teresa and her team have shown during these difficult months.

"And I know what an incredible difference they’re making to those they are helping to feed, many of whom would go hungry without their food parcels.

“So, we feel the least we can do is to play our small part in helping to ensure that this vital service continues for as long as it’s needed, and why any thoughts of rivalry are long-since forgotten – for now, at least!”

Both establishments have won ‘community pub of the year’ title in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards and Teresa was named a 'Covid-19 local hero of the year' last month.

Their partnership is one example of many of how those involved in the awards are working together to help combat the various challenges created by the pandemic.

Charity Food4Heroes, co-led by fellow ‘Covid-19 local hero of the year’ winner John Brownhill from south Northamptonshire, which benefitted from a donation from headline sponsor Weetabix to enable them to provide a three-course, Christmas Day dinner to 1,000 people.

Similarly, awards media partner All Things Business is working with competition judge, Jon Thorpe, who is managing director of workplace IT and security experts ACS, to launch #TechTogether.

The project encourages people to donate their old devices, such as iPads, tablets and laptops, to be distributed to schools for home learning.

The scheme has had an incredible response, with more than 200 gadgets having already been donated, the first of which have already been delivered to those most in need.

Awards director Rachel Mallows said: “Over the previous 12 years, the awards have played a vital role in helping businesses to flourish and grow but for this last year the competition’s safety net of support, where commercial interests are set aside for the greater good, has expanded exponentially.

“It makes me incredibly proud to think that, even in the face of their own difficulties, so much generosity is being shown by so many in our wonderful food and drink sector for the greater good of others."

For more details of The Swan and Helmet’s food bank, including how you can show your support, visit mccarthydixon.org.uk or to donate to Food4Heroes, go to food4heroes.org.uk.

To gift any old technology to the #TechTogether project, email [email protected].

For the full list of the ‘first course’ results in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2020/21, and for details of the finalists in the categories yet to be revealed, visit

northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk, call Rachel on 01933 664437 or email [email protected].