A popular Italian eatery in Southampton dished up more than 140 portions of squash soup for two local soup kitchens. 

On Saturday, December 30, the team at Figurati in Ocean Village spent the day picking, preparing and peeling vegetables.

They did this with the aim of providing soup for St Marks and St Denys Church Hall soup kitchens. 

Figurati received 40 squash and varying vegetables from Southampton City Farm.

Head Chef of the Italian restaurant Nick O’Halloran said he instantly knew he wanted to dish up something delicious for local soup kitchens.

The team at Figurati got peeling, chopping, boiling and blending, turning the produce into a hearty soup. 

Decanting it into several large containers, the team then delivered the golden goodness to St Marks and St Denys Church Hall soup kitchens.

The team got stuck in and served up steaming bowls of soup to all its visitors. 

Nick said: “It was fantastic to see the whole team get involved and be so willing to give up their time for others.

"Soup kitchens are hugely important for many people in our local communities and we recognise that organisations such as food banks and soup kitchens need all the support they can get. 

“As a business, we feel it's really important to give back to communities and help people in need where we can.

"St. Marks and St. Denys Church Hall soup kitchens are brilliant organisations and provide hundreds of meals to Southampton residents weekly. They are always looking for volunteers and donations too.

“We had a great time working as a team and meeting so many wonderful individuals that visited the soup kitchens.”

Figurati was founded in 2022 by Chris Schutrups, who ran the Hunters Inn in Romsey and the Dolphin Inn in Hursley, along with his friend Richard Gilbert and their wives Nicola and Sophie.

Figurati means “no worries” in Italian and saw the four business partners invest more than £600,000 into the concept.

By September last year, the restaurant was named the best in Southampton at the British Restaurant Awards.

The business is also one of the highest rated restaurants in Southampton on TripAdvisor.

Chris told the Echo at the time of the award: "We're incredibly proud of such an accolade so early on in our journey."