Discover how you can help a local restaurant raise money for charity, eat good food and enjoy a great night out with the family and friends.
Tandoori Lounge is the first Punjabi Indian restaurant to open in Hornchurch in London. Every month they host an event to raise money for charity. Restaurant owner Honey Uppal reveals their latest plans to help the local community and explains how you can get involved.
Try something new
Monthly charity evenings run on the last Tuesday of each month from 7pm which is all about raising money for several charities and inviting you to take part in an evening of curry, quizzing fun and fundraising. A ticket for the evening costs £22.50 with which you get a 3-course seated buffet and from this £5 is donated to the charity.
"The evening is a good chance for someone who's never been before to come along, try the food and get involved in a fun night," said Honey. "We have regulars that come to the quiz night, but we love seeing new faces."
Curry for a good cause
"We started the charity night so we could give something back to the local community and help those in need," said Honey. "Every month we choose a different charity."
Tandoori Lounge's charity night has raised money for the Rainbow Trust, Havering Mind, Sycamore Trust and First Step, to name a few.
"We're always excited to get new charities involved," Honey added. "After our success with the evening, we're also interested in launching an evening for parent-teacher associations (PTAs) to help them raise money for schools in the area."
If any local charities or PTAs are interested in arranging a fundraising evening at Tandoori Lounge give the restaurant a call on 01708 564 767.
An evening of entertainment
Once everyone's settled the quiz master will kick the evening off. As the night goes on, you'll have more opportunities to raise money for charity and get ahead of the competition.
Teams can buy clues throughout the quiz to help them. You can even buy an answer or a question to deprive other teams of winning points. "It gets pretty competitive," said Honey. "Which is, of course, half the fun and a good laugh," she said.
The evening ends with a prize raffle and where possible an auction. The prizes are donated by us, local businesses and celebrities. Ex England manager "Sven-Goran Eriksson has donated a signed football before, current West Ham star, Robert Snodgrass got the whole team to sign a shirt and footballs along with Lukasz Fabianski who donated a signed goalkeeper's shirt.
Tantalise your taste buds with authentic Punjabi cuisine
On the evening you will be served a buffet-style meal - including papadums, four starters, three mains, pilau rice and naan bread - that are replenished throughout the night. They offer vegan-friendly and gluten-free options.
If you can't decide on a curry, the staff can make a recommendation based on other meals and flavours you enjoy.
"We've created a menu based on authentic Punjabi and Indian cuisine. Our food is what sets the restaurant apart from other traditional Indian restaurants," said Honey. "Our recipes aren't heavy or greasy; they are a healthy, home-cooked style of Indian food that pleasantly surprises everyone who visits." Tandoori Lounge has just been awarded the prestigious Good Food Award 2020 and last year was voted 'best restaurant in Havering' at the Havering Nightlife Awards.
Get involved with your local community
Honey and her husband Sukh opened the restaurant in 2017, inspired by Sukh's late mother who had always wanted to run a restaurant and loved feeding her delicious food to friends and family. Honey explained how they were raised to help and care for others. They run the charity nights to give back to their local community and hope to introduce the inhabitants of Havering to the taste of authentic Punjabi cuisine.
Tandoori Lounge runs a range of events throughout the month from the very popular Curryoke nights to live music nights and 2-for-1 Sundays.
The charity evening runs on the last Tuesday of every month from 7pm. Reserve tickets on the chosen charity's website or call the restaurant on 01708 564 767. Visit tandoorilounge.com or follow them on Facebook or Instagram to see upcoming events.
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