Christmas can sometimes be a lonely and unforgiving time when you’re on your own – or struggling to make ends meet.
To spread a little festive cheer, one chip shop is Birmingham will be opening its doors on Christmas Day to feed the homeless and elderly.
Brothers Asef and Hamid Faqiri – who run The Classic Fish Bar in Erdington – are digging into their own pockets and will be dishing up a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for their local customers.
Asef said: “I’ve been here for two years, and I’ve seen many homeless people here.
“There’s also alot of older people and they probably would love to have Christmas dinner. They haven’t got Christmas dinner to eat on the special day so we thought we would treat them. It’s a small thing but we want to do it and we hope it makes them happy. We want to help the poor and homeless. We’re doing it for God and the greater good.”
There will also be free fish and chips for those wanting something simpler, or for those who follow a pescatarian diet.
Staff will prepare, cook and serve up a steaming traditional turkey dinner in takeaway boxes to hand out to anyone who turns up between 1pm and 4pm.
A sign has been put up in the shop window advertising the event.
It has been shared widely on social media and the brothers are also urging their customers to spread the word.
Asef added: “We are cooking it up in the kitchen and it’s not all going to be fish and chips or donner meat! It’s going to be a proper traditional dinner. This will be the first time we’ve done this but I’m sure it won’t be the last!”
