When measures to control the spread of coronavirus were strengthened, the owners of the Berlin-based, Michelin-starred restaurant Tulus Lotrek were forced to close their doors for the foreseeable future. But instead of shutting up shop entirely, they decided to instead direct their energy and skill into something a little different.

Free meals for Berlin's healthcare workers

The hundreds of thousands of people currently employed in the healthcare system, who are working tirelessly to save the lives of those infected, have been finding it difficult to access healthy food. 

So restaurant owners Maximilian Strohe and Ilona Scholl decided they would do something to help. For the last few weeks, they have been providing gourmet meals to hospitals and other healthcare institutions in Berlin - free of charge. 

"We thought about it: People are working 18-hour shifts and falling asleep at their desks or in the waiting room," Scholl said to AFP. "How are they being looked after? How do you make sure that they are fed and stay healthy as long as possible?" 

Cooking for Heroes

The project got off the ground once Strohe and Scholl spoke to their regular supplier. They happened to have an enormous amount of fresh food lying around that would have otherwise gone bad, since so many of its regular customers have been forced to shut down. The supplier was therefore able to donate meat and vegetables to the cause. 

They then got cooking, posting a message on Facebook - under the title "Cooking for Heroes" (Kochen für Helden) - offering gourmet, take-out meals for healthcare workers. A few days later, they launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the project for the next few months.

Campaign a great success

They were quickly inundated with orders - as well as messages of support and offers to help - and have since been working round the clock to whip up hearty, healthy meals like goulash, tomato soup and curry, and shipping them out in huge cartons to local hospitals, doctors' surgeries, dentists and smaller medical practices alike. 

The restaurant owners have also begun receiving from other suppliers and warehouse owners, who do not want the surplus piles of ingredients in their warehouses to go to waste.

They have recently posted that they are well-off for people in the kitchen (and obviously want to adhere to social distancing measures so urge people not to just drop by). But they are keen to hear about any other medical facilities that could do with a good meal - and are happy to receive food donations and reusable, sterilised containers with lids.