A burger restaurant in Tooting has now been serving meals to homeless people for a year.

Meat and Shake, located at 47 Upper Tooting Road, began an initiative last year which saw homeless people get fed if they turned up on two days a week between the times of 5pm and 5.30pm.

Within that year, the restaurant has increased that to four days a week - Monday to Thursday - and the restaurant is encouraging anyone in need to come along.

As it stands they serve around 100-150 meals a week and are prepared to serve up to 100 a day.

We spoke to Usama Siddique, the owner of the restaurant, who says that he feels humbled and privileged to be in a position to serve the community.

He said: "Last year has been brilliant for the restaurant as far as our campaign is concerned.

"We started off with two days a week and now we offer four days a week - Monday to Thursday 5pm to 5:30pm.

"Anyone and everyone who gets there by 5.30pm gets served.

"Throughout the pandemic, we continued to serve, as the times for the homeless were even harder

"I feel humbled and privileged to be in a position to put something back into the community and serve those who are a bit less fortunate while maintaining their dignity and respect."

Usama says that for as long as he is running the restaurant he will continue to keep this scheme going. Not only that, but he wants to increase not only the number of meals per day, but also the amount of days they give out food.

"The number of guests is gradually increasing. We serve around 100 to 150 meals a week," he added.

"However, I request anyone who knows someone who is homeless or facing hardship to send them our way. There are no questions asked - we ensure guests' dignity.

"It is slowly gaining popularity through the word of mouth - we are geared up to serve 100 meals a day.

"We will continue to do it as long as our restaurant continues to function. As long as we are open we will continue to serve and eventually seven days a week."

Meat & Shake is a southern barbecue joint that offers a range of burgers, BBQ meats and milkshakes.

To find out more or book a table, visit the Meat & Shake website.

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