On Mondays, Black Trumpet’s kitchen is usually quiet. It’s the lone day off for the staff behind one of Portsmouth’s most celebrated bistros.
But by 10:30 a.m. today, the lights are on, the ovens are cranked, and a volunteer sous chef is seasoning an aioli dressing.
It’s all part of the prep for Free Lunch Monday, a new initiative aimed at supporting furloughed government workers, people on food assistance, and, really, anyone who is in need.
“Our government has failed us,” says Evan Mallett, Black Trumpet’s head chef. “It's deeper than just the shutdown, you know.”
As the shutdown stretched on week after week, more restaurants on the Seacoast began offering discounted meals or other specials for the thousands of impacted workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Mallett, wanting to help, decided that a to-go offering, no questions asked, would be the most direct way he could assist.
He put out a request for donated food, and his suppliers — from local farmers, butchers and grocers — stepped up. “People are just coming from all directions with product, and its a beautiful thing,” he says.
A post on the restaurant’s Instagram feed helped to summon an army of volunteers willing to prepare meals. The kitchen is small, though, so it’s just a small crew assisting each Monday. They work quickly: By noon today, there are 100 to-go bags filled with a hearty salad made with local greens, a squash soup topped with pepitas, cookies, and a drink.
Some of Black Trumpet’s kitchen staff even cut into their time off to lend a hand.
“My family grew up with food stamps and there were definitely tough times when I was younger, so it just means a lot to help out other people in their time of need,” says Tyler Estes, a line cook who pitched in alongside his partner this morning.
Another volunteer, Kathy Gunst, a local chef and cookbook author, helped prepare the greens.
“People are waking up and realizing that we have to do it: We have to support people who can't feed themselves right now,” she says. “It's unacceptable.”
The effects of the shutdown have been particularly acute on the Seacoast, given that thousands of federal employees at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard have been going for weeks without pay. One shipyard worker, who declined to give his name, said the gesture from Black Trumpet was about more than just a free meal.
“It's nice to be appreciated in a time where there's not a lot of appreciation for the federal workforce,” he said. ”It just means a lot to have somebody in the community saying thank you and respecting what we do over at the shipyard.”
Any leftover meals from Free Lunch Monday, along with extra donated ingredients, are collected after lunch and given to Gather, a local food pantry. Then it's time for Mallett to begin prepping for Tuesday, when the restaurant will reopen for its normal dinner service.
Even with the shutdown reaching an end, he expects to keep Free Lunch Mondays running, at least through the holidays.
“We're going to keep it going as long as we feel like there's a need,” he says.
