By Megan Stanley

Restaurants on Southall's famous curry mile are giving customers food for free as the cost of living crisis has "battered" the Ealing neighbourhood. 

Some of the most popular restaurants in the town also said they've seen their bills triple in the past few months.

The cost of living is currently the highest it has ever been in 40 years, with food prices up more than 10 per cent. Businesses across Ealing are being hit with high bills and soaring food costs – and so are their customers. 

Ealing Council declared a 'Cost of Living and economic emergency Crisis' at full council meeting on Tuesday (November 1). This comes as households and businesses across Ealing face "massive strain" as inflation runs rampant. 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service visited Southall's High Street, which is famed for its number of curry houses and restaurants – popularly dubbed the "curry mile" by visitors and residents. 

Southall, which is known as Little India or Little Punjab, because it is home to more Indians than anywhere else in the UK, also has the largest Punjabi population outside of India. It is a haven of independent shops and locally-owned restaurants, with some of the best Indian food in the capital.

Rita's Curry House on Regina Road has been a staple in Southall for nearly 60 years but now customers are staying away. Owner Manmeet Singh Kapoor said bills have doubled. For feature on impact of Cost of Living in Southall. Credit: Megan Stanley.

Rita's Curry House on Regina Road has been a staple in Southall for nearly 60 years but now customers are staying away. Owner Manmeet Singh Kapoor, who took over the restaurant in 2021, said: "Business is down, but no businesses at the moment are doing well. Sometimes it is quiet here, sometimes it is not.

"People have no money at the moment because everything is going up. For us, everything has gone up: oil, vegetables and meat. People are not happy now. Two days ago we were celebrating Diwali, people were laughing and smiling but they are not happy inside."

Energy bills have increased by at least £500 per month for the restaurant, while food prices have more than doubled. A few months ago Mr Kapoor was paying £4 for batches of tomatoes but now that's increased to £10. 

Despite facing hard times, Mr Kapoor still has time for his regulars, especially one gentleman who comes in every day for tea and coffee. "He has fallen on hard times, I never make him pay," he said. "God has blessed me and I can do that to help. I pray to god that things will get better."

Five minutes away on The Green, Bulsho Friends Cuisine are facing similar problems. Manager Mohammed Ibrahim said: "People are coming in but it's not like it was before the pandemic. We are still struggling."

Mr Ibrahim, who became manager three months before Covid-19 hit, said customers are now eating once or twice, rather than popping in multiple times a week for a number of meals a day. 

The restaurant has refused to put up its prices, with the knowledge that customers just won't be able to afford it. He added: "All the customers, they work and they say they are struggling and they do not have money. With three or four people, they have come in and they say they have no money. I say 'eat and pay when you get the money.'"

Despite keeping costs down for their struggling customers, Bulsho is facing energy bills that have doubled. The cost of the Costco shop has also increased from £200 to £400, and even the cost of milk has gone from £1.35 to £2.20. 

A few doors down is Lahori Savour, where the bills have increased from £800 to £2,500 per month. As a result, the cost of meals has gone up and to reduce complaints the store has been forced to put signs up explaining the price hike. 

Manager, Arish Mehran, said: "We are worried because we want to be able to run the businesses but the bills are increasing, the stock is going up we have had no other choice but to increase prices."

It's not just the bills that have increased, the price of the stock has also skyrocketed with oil increasing from £14 to a whopping £40. Mr Arish added: "It is very hard these days."