Chinese restaurant in Edinburgh gives 360 free meals to staff at Western General

Chinese Manor House has offered meals to NHS workers.

A Chinese restaurant in Edinburgh has pledged to give 360 free meals to staff at the Western General hospital.

Chinese Manor House in Corstorphine has offered to deliver 30 meals every Sunday for 12 weeks.

The initiative began on March 26 and the restaurant is now preparing for its fourth weekend.

“It’s not about the money, it’s about the support,” said restaurant owner Katherine Hau.

“The NHS is the most important organisation at this time. They work tirelessly, many of them giving up their holidays and their family time. What they’re doing is very honourable.”

Ms Hau said she and her husband wanted to do something to support local NHS workers.

“We are one of the few businesses the government has allowed to remain open, so we wanted to show our support,” she said.

Chinese Manor House is usually a sit-in restaurant, but they have branched into takeaway because of the lockdown.

Ms Hau posted in a Corstophine-based Facebook group asking for suggestions, and feedback suggested they give meals to workers at the Western General.

“There are so many care homes, so many NHS workers. We’re very small and we cannot support them all,” she said.

The restaurant delivers 15 boxes each of two different dishes, along with 30 portions of rice, to the Western General reception every Sunday.

They also deliver two free meals every night they are open, Thursday to Sunday, to elderly and vulnerable people in the area. They take suggestions online for who should receive these meals, and in this case the recipients can choose what they would like.

“It’s not about the money, I want these people to know we care, and we are thinking about them,” said Ms Hau.

“We’ve had a lot of people saying thank you. It’s a very nice feeling.