The offer by Radhuni, at Loanhead on the outskirts of Edinburgh, and its sister restaurant Itihaas in nearby Dalkeith includes teachers, postmen and women, delivery drivers and supermarket staff as well as police, fire brigade and ambulance workers, NHS staff and care workers.
The curry and rice dishes will also be given to people employed elsewhere in the hospitality industry which has been especially badly hit by national lockdowns.
Instead of spending or saving the money themselves, the restaurants are using a new Government grant to fund the distribution.
The food plus a soft drink will be handed out from the restaurants next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12, 13 and 14 January between 12 and 2 pm and 4.30 and 9.30 pm on production of valid ID. There will be a vege-tarian option.
Last year the two Indian-Bangladeshi restaurants donated £10,000 worth of free meals to NHS and emergency workers and care home staff. They have also been raising money for national charity Children 1st by donating 25p from every takeaway.
Radhuni’s Managing Partner, 24-year-old Habibur Khan, became the youngest person to take home one of the major British Curry Awards last year when Radhuni was named Scotland’s best curry restaurant. Last month he was also given the organisation’s Scottish Award for Most Out-standing Service during the pandemic.
“The past nine months have been tough going for restaurants throughout the UK,” he commented. “Radhuni and Itihaas have already recognised the enormous efforts of our pandemic front line heroes and heroines in practical ways but felt we needed to go even further by giving them more nourish-ment to help keep up their energy and strength.”
The Radhuni is at 93 Clerk Street, Loanhead EH20 9RE (Em: in-fo@theradhuni.co.uk, tel. 0131 440 3566) and Itihaas is at 17-19 Eskbank Road, Dalkeith EH22 1HD (Emn: info@itihaasrestaurant.com, tel. 0131 663 9800).
