ELDERLY residents of a flagship extra care home have been left without a food service before Christmas, amid claims the UK's largest non-profit care and housing provider was unhappy the charity running it was also using its facilities to warm meals on wheels.

Just a year after Meadowfields, Thirsk, opened after being marketed as a development offering care and a restaurant, many of its 77 residents have been left "ordering takeways and eating out of containers", while it remains unclear when the food service will be relaunched.

Thirsk county councillor Gareth Dadd said: "I find it absolutely unacceptable that in a flagship development residents have been left wanting, so HC21 needs to rapidly rectify the situation as it has a duty of care."

It is understood the leaders, staff and volunteers of Thirsk Community Care (TCC), which runs services across Hambleton and Richmondshire districts, have been left "absolutely devastated", following Housing and Care 21 (HC21), which runs the extra care scheme, suddenly axing its contract with the charity and closing community cafe Bistro21.

Supporters of Bistro21 claim HC21 did not consult residents before giving the charity - which was invited to a Downing Street reception this week for its highly-regarded work - just under three weeks’ notice to end its catering service contract.

They said the scores of people connected to the charity and home were left stunned by the decision as it had proved popular.

The supporters claim HC21 told the charity it had issues over the cost of TCC heating dinners for its meals on wheels service and that its lunch clubs were too time-consuming for their care staff.

It is believed both of the charity services were included in the cafe business plan agreed by HC21 last year.

Other issues raised reportedly included that the charity had not increased its six-days-a-week service to seven days soon enough.

One supporter said: "Their issues beggared belief as their care staff were not involved in the running of the lunch club and it would appear the charity would have agreed to a rise in rent to pay for the cost of warming the meals of wheels, even though the ovens were on anyway.

"It was also widely understood that the charity had previously made HC21 well aware it would open an extra day from this month, but now there's no food service at all because HC21 does not appear to have had a replacement lined up.

"If the situation wasn't bizarre enough, as a result of the cafe closure, residents of Meadowfields are now ordering meals on wheels from the charity."

When approached, the charity declined to comment, but confirmed it had relocated its meals on wheels operation to Orchid House, the recently-opened Sowerby Gateway extra care scheme, after receiving support from its operator, social landlord Thirteen, and was looking for a venue for its popular lunch clubs.

HC21 declined to comment on when the food service at Meadowfields would reopen or detail the reasons for breaking ties with the charity.

A spokesman said: “The catering contract with Thirsk Community Care was not working and we decided it was in the best interests of our residents and all parties involved to seek another provider.

“No new provider has been selected for the catering role at Meadowfields. When this is done, we will be following the usual strict procurement processes.”