Delia Smith has had the power to clear shelves through her recommendations but now the culinary queen is helping a city social supermarket feed families in need.

The cookery legend joined the St Giles Trust at St Saviours Church in Magdalen Street, the charity's east of England base, where it offers healthy food, shopping services and a community hub.

Layla Jones, pantry coordinator and support worker, joked she didn't dare to make any cakes for the occasion as "that would be far too terrifying".

She added: “I was really excited to showcase what we are doing, it was a chance to raise our flag and show people what we do behind these doors.”

Norwich Evening News: Layla Jones and Adam Mewes of The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich Layla Jones and Adam Mewes of The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Adam Mewes, assistant pantry coordinator, said: “We had a good old chat about things. She was only meant to be here for 45 minutes but she stayed for over an hour.

“She was really interested. We spent the whole afternoon chatting – she was really in listening mode.”

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Delia, who has a restaurant named after her at Carrow Road, lives across the border near Stowmarket.

Norwich Evening News: Delia Smith visited The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich Delia Smith visited The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich (Image: St Giles Trust)

The 82-year-old, alongside husband Michael Wynn Jones, has been on the board at Norwich City for more than 25 years - so it didn't take long for the Canaries to be mentioned.

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“We did talk about football but we were mostly talking about the community," Layla added. 

Norwich Evening News: Delia Smith visited The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich Delia Smith visited The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich (Image: St Giles Trust)Norwich Evening News: The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich (Image: St Giles Trust)

"She is lovely. She’s a really kind person who is very keen to give back.”

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The visit was organised by the Norfolk Community Foundation, founders of the Nourishing Norfolk initiative, of which Delia is a massive supporter.

Norwich Evening News: Delia Smith visited The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich Delia Smith visited The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich (Image: St Giles Trust)Norwich Evening News: The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich The Pantry in Magdalen Street, Norwich (Image: St Giles Trust)

Since it opened in February 2023, The Pantry has saved eight tonnes of food from landfill, had over 1,000 visits and helped over 500 vulnerable adults and children.

On average, The Pantry will provide 35 to 40 weekly shops for people who need their services.