Restaurant owner's 'heart broke' when he saw mum's order for family with young kids

A restaurant owner has spoken of his shock when he saw what a mum had ordered for herself and her four children.

Joe Worrall, 34, one of the owners of Blackdoor Bar & Bistro in West Derby, says he was working last Friday morning when the family came and sat down inside.

After settling in, they asked for one plate of small pancakes from the children's menu.

But the restaurateur said his "heart pulled" when the mum started asking for more forks and the family shared the food, 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 wanted to do something nice for her children on their day off.

The mum ordered just two pancakes to share among the family of five (Getty)

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.

After speaking with co-owner Sian Carberry (pictured), Joe says they will now offer special discounts (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

"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."

The encounter left a lasting impression on Joe, and once the mum and kids had left the bistro he spoke to his partner and co-owner Sian Carberry about what they could do to help those in need.

The pair have now decided to sell food at half price between 9am and 3pm from tomorrow 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."