A businessman from Bexleyheath started to donate Indian food to help the less vulnerable and key workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Suyel Samaded, also known as Sam, started to donate after his family restaurant, Onamika, in Bexleyheath temporarily shut for customer sit-ins due to COVID.

The 42-year-old told the News Shopper he wanted to help others after seeing people go through difficult times during the pandemic.

He also did not want the extra food stock at the restaurant to go to waste so he decided to turn the situation of the closure into an advantage.

This Is Local London: Onamika in BexleyheathOnamika in Bexleyheath

Sam said: “We gave away food to people who were isolated, things like bread, rice, and general curry ingredients.

“It’s amazing to see what a small establishment can do to help so many other people.

“As we were also allowed to operate as a takeaway restaurant only, we also gave discounts to keyworkers and the NHS staff.”

"We started off with something small but then it just got bigger."

This Is Local London: Onamika in BexleyheathOnamika in Bexleyheath

Sam said after giving away food during lockdown he decided to keep going after seeing the joy and happiness of people.

He then decided to team up with Slade Green Food Bank as they delivered food to people who were struggling after lockdown.

In December 2021, Sam and his friend of 20 years, Jedd, managed to deliver 200 containers of food to the charity.

The production of the 200 containers of food took Sam and his team around five to six hours which cost around £300.

After their delivery to the charity, he then received a phone call within 15 minutes that all the food was already eaten.

This Is Local London: Onamika in BexleyheathOnamika in Bexleyheath

After realising the demand for the food, he then decided to expand the team by asking for volunteers from the community.

He said more than 200 people reached out to him within the area to have a contribution to the donations.

He revealed last month in January that he and his team delivered more than 400 containers of food to the food bank.

He said: “The response from the first donation had encouraged us to do it again by increasing the number of containers each time.

“It’s for the people who can’t afford their electricity bill, or who have lost jobs during the pandemic, or who are struggling to put a hot meal in their stomach.

This Is Local London: Onamika in BexleyheathOnamika in Bexleyheath

“You also give to people who are in this community, and for me to give back to them after being in this business for 22 years is amazing to see.

“The community does so much for me too, they come and eat at my restaurant so it’s only right I give something back.”

He said he has future plans to help more people by increasing the number of containers he delivers each month.

Sam also encourages other businesses to get involved in donating for the people who need it "more than them."

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