Coronavirus: Frontline Workers In Swadlincote Receive Free Meals Courtesy Of Ashby Restaurant

Frontline workers in Swadlincote have received regular deliveries of free meals thanks to an Ashby Italian restaurant and the support of its loyal customers and the wider community.

Staff at the town's ambulance and fire stations - as well as other local key workers - have benefitted from Zamani's free food venture which has seen more than 1,000 meals delivered to local NHS 'superheroes' and other frontline workers.

Zamani's, in Ashby's Market Street, closed its doors when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the country was going into lockdown.

The same day, owners Pejman and Kate Zamani stepped up to fill the bellies and lift the spirits of life-saving key workers by deciding to cook 25 to 30 pizzas a night for NHS front line staff.

With the help of GPs, nurses, doctors and paramedics 400 pizzas were distributed to hospitals, including Glenfield, Leicester Royal, Queen's Hospital Burton and Loughborough, as well as ambulance stations in Swadlincote and Coalville.

For the first two weeks Zamani's, with the help of some suppliers and businesses including Coalville's The Fruit Basket and Taylor's Family Butchers in Ashby, provided the ingredients and labour.

"We wanted to give something back to the incredible NHS superheroes, the people we rely on in our hour of need," Kate told Ashby Nub News.

"As the meals became popular with the NHS and frontline workers it became obvious that supplies needed to be raised to meet the high demand."

The couple turned to their loyal customers and the wider community to help continue their food venture, launching an online fundraising appeal on April 8.

Within 18 hours the fundraiser Just Giving Zamani's had reached its £3,150 target...and now stands at £4,145, plus other cash donations.

"Donations go towards buying ingredients and take-away containers and has allowed us to continue to provide food every day for NHS and other key workers," added Kate.

"We are so lucky that when we turn to the community for support, they always rise to the occasion - it's very humbling.

"Thanks to their incredible generosity, since April 8, we have made 657 pastas and 475 pizzas and these have been delivered to key workers at hospitals and local ambulance and police stations."

All Zamani's full-time staff, currently furloughed, have volunteered their time to prepare and cook the meals which are now delivered by first responders.

"So many people - from our wonderful staff to the fantastic first responders and, of course, our kind-hearted customers and the local community - have helped us make this happen," added Kate.

This is not the first time Zamani's has seen a tremendous response to a community call to support a worthy cause.

Saddened by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, the couple reached out to their customers and raised more than £6,100 in just 11 days which they personally gave to three schools and a nursery in the West London community to distribute directly to those impacted by the tragedy.

With bills to pay and two young children to feed, Pejman and Kate are now considering the longer term plan for the business under continued lockdown.

Kate said: "The intention has always been to review this service to the NHS as events unfold around the country and rules and regulations change.

"As we stand right now, we may have to come to the decision in the next two weeks to open the restaurant as a take-out business.

"If that happens, we would without question, look how we could continue to support the NHS."