A popular restaurant chain is inviting the public to show their appreciation for our NHS superheroes by buying them a meal.

Chicken & Blues (C&B) has already cooked more than 2,000 meals for frontline staff after launching a 50% off collection for NHS workers offer on March 17.

Now it’s launched a NHS ‘Pay It Forward’ meal voucher campaign through local website Elite Living at www.eliteliving.club/deal/bournemouth/deals/chicken-blues/

Customers can buy a meal voucher (or multiple vouchers) for £5.

Every Friday during the crisis, C&B teams will cook off the meals, and arrange collection and delivery for both Bournemouth and Poole Hospitals, handing the meals direct to NHS staff.

At the regular menu price, the meals would usually cost up to £9, so C&B is offering a 40 per cent discount on the meal vouchers to those paying it forward.

Meal vouchers include a C&B Chicken or Vegan Wrap plus a soft drink.

Within 24 hours of launching last week, more than 250 vouchers had been purchased.

That number has now risen to just under 500 with C&B targeting 2,500 vouchers in the next month.

On Friday afternoon the first meals were collected by paramedics, and delivered to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

C&B Co-founders Joshua Simons and Steve Crawford.

Steve Crawford, C&B Co-Founder, said: “The team has been taken back by the response of our 50% off NHS campaign.

“It’s given the business a real sense of purpose, something to fight for.

“The newly launched Pay It Forward campaign enables us to engage with generous and kind members of the public that have been in touch, and to do what we can to support the NHS, together.”

C&B’s three sites are in Boscombe, Ashley Cross and Winton.

Last year it won the category for ‘Best Family Restaurant’ at the first-ever national Deliveroo Restaurant Awards.

The restaurant triumphed despite strong competition from brands including Frankie & Benny’s, Giraffe, Miller & Carter, Turtle Bay and Bodean’s.