Cleobury Mortimer Indian restaurant hands out hundreds of meals to health workers
A restaurant in Cleobury Mortimer has donated around 400 meals to NHS staff in the south Shropshire and Worcestershire area since the start of lockdown.
The Spice Empire has been providing NHS staff with free meals every Thursday by donating meal boxes to queueing workers.
Owner Wasim Kabir said they have been overwhelmed by the response they have had to the initiative.
“The way food can turn someone’s mood around is unbelievable,” he said.
“We have been doing free meals for the NHS staff and have done nearly 400 meals so far.
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“I thought, let’s give Worcester's hospital a call. So I got in touch with a lady there who lets the staff know they can come and get food from us.
“Every Thursday between 6pm and 10pm I now say as people start clapping, we start packing.
“The first time we started doing this was really emotional. People were thanking us and one lady said she wished she could give us a hug.
“We could hear some of the people’s conversations, and nurses and NHS staff were referring to their colleagues as troops and things. It just makes you realise how hard they work.
“We can see the physical reaction when they receive the food. It is amazing how good food can really change someone’s mood.”
The restaurant has been in the town for more than 20 years and Mr Kabir said he was grateful for the townspeople's support, with some even wanting to donate money to help them get by.
He said: “It is crazy. Obviously we are a small business so can only do so much but the community has just been fantastic.”
