Care staff in North Tyneside have been getting special treats of curry and cake as thanks for their hard work during the pandemic.
The free meals are being provided by three businesses run by members of the same family - the Gulshan restaurant in Tynemouth, Takdir and Waffle and Cones in Whitley Bay.
Throughout this month, they have been delivering treat boxes to care homes with curry, rice, naans and poppadoms as well as cakes and waffles.
Suffian Rahman, 36, his brother Mamun Rahman, 38, brother-in-law Zakir Hussain, 42, sister Hon Rahman, 40, sister Sultana Rahman, 41, and Sultana's husband Ashraf Ali, 50, have all been helping to organise the deliveries from the three sites.
Suffian, known as Suff, from North Shields, said: "Me and my family have businesses in North Tyneside and we came up with an idea to help the care sector because we feel they have maybe been a little bit forgotten about during these unprecedented times.
"We thought we would put something together where we would try and cover as many care homes as possible. The response that we've got has been amazing and really heartwarming."
Sultana, of Whitley Bay, added: "We just think that all the care workers have been amazing and have worked really hard throughout the pandemic.
"A lot of people don't realise how much work they do and what they have been through. It's been a very hard year for them. We just wanted to do something to thank them and thought we would give them a treat.
"At one of the care homes, a manager came out and told us she had actually had her wedding meal at Takdir back in 1979. She was so appreciative of what we were doing.
"This is our way of showing that we appreciate their hard work."
The restaurants are currently closed to sit-in customers due to lockdown restrictions but they are running takeaway services.
