A restaurant owner has spoken of the moment his 'heart broke' when he rang in an order a mum had made for herself and her four kids.
Joe Worrall, 34, is one of the owners of the Blackdoor Bar & Bistro in West Derby and was working last week when he spotted a family of five come in to eat, reports the Mirror.
After being seated, the mum ordered a singular plate of small pancakes from the children's menu.
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However, the owner said his "heart pulled" when the mum requested more cutlery, and the family shared the small plate between the five of them - which was just two pancakes.
When Joe asked why they were sharing the small order, the mum told him she was "struggling really bad with the cost of living" - and just wanted to do something special and nice for her kids on their day off.
After hearing her story he decided to give her the food for free, and told the Echo: "It was around 9.10am and a woman came in with her four kids. We have quite a playful menu with a kids menu and she ordered small pancakes from it.
"You can get an adult portion with five pancakes and sauce or a small pancakes for half the price. I didn't want to say anything as I know some people can get embarrassed or offended, but she came up and was asking for more forks.
"She told me she was really struggling with money and it just pulled on my heart. I just gave her the pancakes for free.
"She said she was struggling with the cost of living and she just wanted to do something nice for her kids while they were off. We're seeing this more and more now, everyone is struggling."
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The encounter has left a lasting impression on Joe, and he discussed the mum's story with his partner and co-owner Sian Carberry - in order to find out what they could do to help others in need.
The pair have now decided to sell food at half price between 9am and 3pm from June 7 until June 10, and will also offer discounts between 10am and 3pm on Sunday, June 11.
Joe said: "We're not about just selling you your food and taking your money, we want to do things a bit differently. I will make a loss but it is just one of those things.
"If we can help families who genuinely need help then it's worth it. We won't ask anybody to explain their situation to us."
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