British Bangladeshi Curry Restaurants to Feed the Elderly Isolated for Free

Many of you that personally know me know that I have a great affection for Bangladeshi Curry Restaurants. I have taken many colleagues to Indian restaurants in Brick Lane and elsewhere. I have never owned any, in fact none of my family do. However, as someone with Bangladeshi heritage, I'm immensely proud that through hard work my community has built a ￡4.2 billion, 10,000+ restaurant industry. Although "known as Indian restaurants" they are in fact up to 95% Bangladeshi owned and run. They employ up to 100,000 people directly and supports hundreds and thousands of businesses in the supply chain, like Cobra beer, rice and spice suppliers.

In every city, town and village you will find a Bangladeshi restaurant. Indeed, at its peak there was a network of circa 12000 curry restaurants in the UK. This is a bigger network than the largest retail network in Europe, which is the UK PostOffice with 11000 post offices.

Sadly, for various reasons, the industry has been in sharp decline, including high business rates and skilled staff shortage. Therefore, when this suffering industry finds in its heart to come together on human and national interest to help its fellow countrymen, it is doubly heart-warming. The British Bangladeshi Caterers Association (BBCA) members have agreed to offer free curry meals to the UK Elderly, who have self-isolated or have been asked to isolate, so that they do not have to worry about being fed and having to go to restaurants etc.

So far 51 restaurants from the BBCA have signed up to the initiative. We hope to see this grow and the list is expanding every day. Here is the statement from the BBCA:

"We the British Bangladeshi Caterers Association are extremely concerned for theelderly and vulnerable who may have to self-isolate.

The BBCA and most importantly it’s members would like to offer a free meal every day to any elderly person who is self-isolating. The self-isolating person needs to ring our member participating outlet and place the order. Ideally a member of your family should collect the order but If you don't have any relatives nearby, then our members will do all that is viable to get the meal to your door.

Subject to availability, limited to first come first served.

The aim is to provide you a Nutritional meal full of proteins and carbohydrates.

BBCA restaurant and takeaway participants:so far

1) Bangkok Lounge Shefford – 01462 338287

2) Bangkok Lounge Harpenden – 01582 461282

3) Bayleaf Restaurant – 020 8446 8671

4) Curry Mahal Harrow – 0208 4227976

5) The Coriander - Hatch End – 0208 4288166

6) Royston Tandoori Royston – 01763 249098

7) Rupali Ruchi - South Croydon – 0208 6880000

8) Silka Indian - London Bridge – 02073786161

9) Mango Tree, -Maidstone, Kent – 01622 676233

10) Shamrat Indian Brasserie, Maidstone – 01622764961

11) Cafe Massala -Long Melford, Suffolk, 01787 378658

12) Memsaab -Lavenham, Suffolk – 01787249431

13) The I. V (India Villa ), Hadleigh, Suffolk – 01473828599

14) Little India - Halstead, Essex – 01787476161

15) Viceroy of Windsor, Windsor, 01753 858005

16) QualityTandoori, Edenbridge – 01732 865043

17) WoodhouseTandoori, Frien Barnet, 02083617879

18) Coffee Pot Luton – 01582 480289

19) Taj Barming, Kent, 01622728600

20) Thai Fusion, Kent, 01795436000,

21) HB Curry, Luton, 01582 414243

22) Alishan Restaurant, Kent – 01732770616

23) Rose of Bengal, East Sussex – 01892 662252

24) Curry Garden Dunstable – 01582 608564

25) New Akash, Gt Missenden, 01494 866953

26) Sukho Thai, Gt Missenden, 01494868911

27) Taste of Nawab, Muswell Hill – 02088836429

28) Masala Indian Takeaway, Hitchin, 01462 434010 (non member business)

29) The Rajdoot - Paddington – 02074862055

30) Bayleaf Takeaway, London N20. 02084468999

31) Ruhits restaurants, London, 02088304222

32) Ashiyana Indian Luton – 01582 966116

33) Little India, Nsw Australia, Ingleburn, Sydney, 0298284611

34) Junahki, Kent – 01892 615200

35) Rajpoot, East Sussex – 01892 654631

36) Gandi, Gravesend – 01474535757

37) The Spice, Tunbridge Wells – 01892 543794

38) Imli Restaurant Tunbridge wells – 01892 522550

39) Pink Paprika Kent – 01634 255555

40) Kashmir, Canterbury, Kent – 01227462050

41) Mahdi Lounge, Rye, East Sussex, 01797 223091

42) Sheesh Mahal, Twickenham, 02088923303

43) Palkee, Cambridge, 01223412268

44) Jalsha, Ashford, Middlesex, 01784251544

45) River Spice, Hemel Hempstead, 01442 214176

46) The Empress, London, E1 0207 265 0745

47) Shad Indian, London Bridge, 0207 407 2777

48) Badsha, Tenterden, 0158076 5151

49) Tower Tandoori Restaurant, London, SE1 4TP, 020 7237 2247

50) Farncombe Tandoori Restaurant, Godalming, GU7 3LH, 01483 419388

51) Monsoon, NW51ST, 0207-284-1700

For the latest expanding list please visit https://www.bbca-co.uk/covid-19/