The Patricia restaurant on Jesmond Road will offer NHS workers 25% off their bill for life once it reopens its doors.

Chef and owner Nicholas Grieves says that it is his way of thanking the staff for their life-saving work in the region amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

To dine at the critically acclaimed restaurant, NHS staff members have to present an ID and simply add a note stating that they wish to use the discount on the website’s booking system.

“We acknowledge that this is a big responsibility and we have wanted to help,” said Grieves.

“We thought this would be a nice way to thank the NHS staff for all the hard work and the fact they are putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the rest of us.”

Earlier this year, the restaurant also ran an initiative to help people suffering from loneliness by providing a table for one. A chef would provide company throughout the meal and money taken from the bookings would go to the mental health charity – Mind.

The initiative is one example of Jesmond pulling together to deal with the spread of the novel coronavirus.

As JesmondLocal has reported, local businesses have started offering delivery services to residents, while a collaborative Facebook group providing support for those in the at-risk groups and therefore self-isolating has seen a surge in members.

Throughout the duration of the pandemic, JesmondLocal‘s band of volunteer student reporters will continue to act as a community news resource, providing information both about the spread of the virus and other relevant news to the Jesmond community.