Thank you Shah

Shah cooks 700 meals for the elderly in memory of his father

Shah Lalon Amin is owner of Indian restaurant, Delhi 6, located on Ocean Road, South Shields.

He is running a free meal service, alongside regular takeaways, for the elderly who are unable to leave the house due to the pandemic.

Shah has been nominated by friend, Alomgir Hossain.

Alomgir, said: “I have known Shah for many years and he is extremely community driven. He started doing the meals over two months ago, before the lockdown began and he is offering a free starter, main meal and rice. He is a true inspiration and a credit to the borough.”

Shah, said: “We originally started off planning to do one free meal a day but when we posted about it on our Facebook page, we had 15 people call up and we couldn’t say no.

“The restaurant was covering the cost of the meals initially but we had many customers ask us to set up a Just Giving page so they could donate. It costs £5 to make a meal and many of our customers who are ordering a takeaway are also donating £5 to cover ingredients so that someone vulnerable can also get a meal.

“This is truly a testament to how fantastic our customers are and the community in general. We would not have been able to make as many meals as we have without the amazing support and we have so far made 700. With the help of my brilliant three chefs, we are aiming to reach a target of 1,000 meals.

“I established the restaurant just 18 months ago and after winning Best New Restaurant at the national English Curry Awards, in January. It has been devastating to have to close and run a purely takeaway service. However, we are resilient and I believe that in doing good, good things happen to you.

“My dad passed away in January and I miss him terribly. He was a man of the community and loved South Tyneside and its people. Everything I am doing is a tribute to him and I know that he would be so proud.”

The Mayor of South Tyneside Councillor Norman Dick, said: “On behalf of the people of South Tyneside, The Mayoress and I would like to convey our gratitude to you for helping elderly residents in the borough who are isolated access a restaurant meal during these unprecedented times.

“It is wonderful to see businesses in South Tyneside acting innovatively and with such care for our community. As the Borough’s First Citizen, I would like to say a huge personal thank you for being part of our community and for helping us to address this challenge in an extremely positive way. We are extremely #proud.”