Staff at an Indian restaurant in Norfolk have extended their efforts during the coronavirus crisis to provide meals to the vulnerable in their community.
Ali Anwar, owner of Downham Tandoori, and his staff have been donating meals to hospital staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King’s Lynn over the last month to show their appreciation for their work throughout the pandemic.
They have now extended this gesture to vulnerable people and volunteers in their area.
More than 1,750 meals have been prepared by staff at the tandoori restaurant for the NHS and 50 dishes have been donated to people in and around Downham Market in association with the town’s Covid-19 group.
Mr Anwar hopes a further 50 meals can be donated to vulnerable members of the community over the next week.
He said: “It’s our way of thanking these amazing people and some guys who really need cheering up.
“We felt that those helping the vulnerable such as volunteers and care workers definitely deserved something too.
“The reaction received by this was amazing, with people saying how generous and thoughtful it was.
“I also received messages from relatives of doctors from the QEH from all over the country, saying how their daughters and sons loved what we did for the them.”
The restaurant and its sister tandoori in King’s Lynn are currently open for takeaways but Mr Anwar hopes they will be allowed to reopen for dining by Saturday, July 4.
Mr Anwar said: “The safety of the people who come to our restaurants and in general is far more important than any business.
“We are more than happy to follow the guidelines set by the government, even if that means we cannot open fully for another two months or so.
“There’s nothing else we can do.”
Downham Tandoori has a one way system in place with two metre spacing on the floor to ensure social distance measures are followed.
Downham Tandoori is open from 12pm to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm Tuesday to Sunday and King’s Lynn Tandoori is open 5pm to 10pm Tuesday to Sunday.
For updates, you can join our Norfolk Coronavirus Updates Facebook page.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here