A POPULAR restaurant, which is closed due to the Covid-19 crisis, has been working with Middlesbrough Council to provide a lifeline for some of its most vulnerable residents.

While Oven restaurant in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, has been shut by the government directive, proprietor Tarek Thoma has been providing essential care packages to the vulnerable and shielding in the town.

All have been receiving deliveries of fresh meat, bread, cheese, milk and eggs, plus a variety of household staples and a few luxuries.

Any profit that they have made has been ploughed back into providing fresh meals for front-line staff at James Cook Hospital, with up to 150 meals a day, freshly cooked and delivered by Tarek and his team of six staff.

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They have also been delivering chef-quality ready meals to three different women’s refuges; children’s homes; the organisation, Thirteen, which houses and works with the homeless; and Harbour, which works with families and individuals who are affected by domestic abuse.

Tarek says: “When we were instructed to close Oven, we needed to find a way of reinventing ourselves so that there was a chance of us still being here when restaurants are able to open again.

“We began our partnership with Middlesbrough Council at the start of the crisis, and we’ve been working seven days a week – it’s the hardest I’ve ever worked!”

Tarek and his team were also recently featured on BBC television’s regional news program, Look North, to highlight their work with the council and vulnerable groups.

“We are proud to have provided 2000 care packages in total, with each package feeding two people for a week. However, the contract has now ended, with central government taking on the responsibility of providing for the vulnerable and shielding.”

Although the restaurant will remain closed until the directive is lifted, Tarek and his team are determined to ensure that customers can still enjoy some favourite dishes, by providing an extensive take-away service for delivery or collection.

Tasty treats on the menu include braised shin of beef in creamy black pepper sauce and triple cooked chips; homemade hand-pressed 10 oz steak burger with cheese and triple cooked chips; Spanish chicken and chorizo paella; Italian lamb, fennel and garlic meatballs with macaroni; and a variety of Parmesans.

Ordering can be done through Just Eat, or customers can contact the restaurant direct on 01642 200900.

Oven is open for take-away orders from 5pm to 9pm, Wednesday to Saturday; and on Sundays for a delicious Sunday lunch, between 12pm and 4pm.

Have a look at what’s on the menu at: www.ovenrestaurantmiddlesbrough.co.uk

Telephone: 01642 200900

Email: ovenrestaurantmiddlesbrough@mail.com

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