A Melksham man has been given free food for life by a local burger company as a gesture of appreciation for his dedicated weekly custom.
David, who is nearly 90 years old, has been given free food by the Melksham-based company Grillin Gourmet, a burger van, which operates out of the Foresters Arms car park.
Every week, David takes a short walk from his home to the van and orders the same thing, a smash burger and chips.
“Over time, we’ve come to really enjoy his visits and his cracking sense of humour,” said the Grillin Gourmet team. “He’s more than a customer; he’s become part of what makes our little burger van special.
“On VE Day, David popped down to see us as usual. We decided that night to pay for his food as a small gesture of appreciation. He was extremely grateful – even though he said, ‘You can’t do that!’ but it just felt right to give something back to someone who brings so much warmth and character to our evenings.
“Later that night, we put a post up on Facebook saying, ‘David doesn’t know this yet, but the next time he comes, he’ll be eating for free. And the time after that will also be free. In fact, his food will be free for as long as we’re still here.’ We hoped the post would reach him, just to let him know how appreciated he is.
“Sure enough, the following Saturday, David came back for the first time since the post went up. His daughter had shown it to him, and he told us he was extremely grateful. It was a lovely moment and it really meant a lot to see him again. We always try to give back where we can.”
Pictured: David with his free burger and chips
