A charitable Indian takeaway has reopened and is on a mission to tackle food poverty across the city.
The much-loved Tiffins on St Michael’s Hill, which is celebrating its 20th birthday this year, has been been going through some changes since 2019, including recently opting to sell some frozen dishes for locals to warm up at home only, but working with Metro Mayor Norris’s West of England Combined Authority, Tiffins’ plant-based feast is back on the menu, much to the delight of the city’s vegetarians and vegans.
Mayor Norris tried his hand at making the mouth-wateringly good Masoor Dhal dish made with red lentils – a particular favourite among Tiffins regulars – when he visited the Kingsdown favourite.
Owner Jay Jethwa explained to Mr Norris how one of her biggest priorities after reopening is to lend a hand to people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
And Mayor Norris learnt how Tiffins is stepping up to the plate when it comes to tackling food waste by using as much surplus fruit and veg as they can in their award-winning dishes to ensure nothing goes to waste, and will be the first-ever West of England restaurant to be fully allergy friendly – with strictly gluten, nut and meat-free but still super-yummy dishes on the menu.
And it’s good news for Bristolians as Tiffins will be now offering a brand-new cookery school to help locals serve up authentic Indian fare themselves, and there are even plans to open more branches and market stalls across Bristol, thanks to support provided by Mayor Norris’s Combined Authority.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “It’s great to see this favourite among Kingsdown locals back doing what it does best – serving up delicious and hearty west Indian dishes to locals throughout the city. I’m proud this has been made possible by a £7,800 cash injection from my West of England Combined Authority. And it’s all the more wonderful to see a business that was started here in Bristol giving back to their community. Whether it’s ensuring kids get substantial meals during the summer or tackling food waste, I’d like to thank Jay and the rest of the team at Tiffins for these extremely kind gestures”.
Ms Jethwa’s food is influenced by the flavours of Gujarat, the western state in India, and her regular customers have already welcomed her back with open arms.
Jay Jethwa said: “I am delighted to welcome our Metro Mayor Dan Norris to Tiffins of Bristol and talk to him in person about how incredibly helpful the West of England Combined Authority’s business support has been to me personally in terms of new business skills learned through their many different courses, as well as to the progress of Tiffins of Bristol which has been specifically targeted business growth support in terms of workforce for the future programme, and receiving a Business Enterprise Grant – to name just two – which has been absolutely crucial in the re-launching and progression of the business further. I have been recommending the Combined Authority to everyone I know who has a business of any type and size, as they have help and support for each and everyone’s individual needs”.
Tiffins is open 12pm to 8pm Monday to Friday with food available to take away, hot or cold.