Gurdwara feeding up to 15,000 people from all faiths every week as food bill triples

ITV News Central correspondent Mark Gough has been to a Gurdwara in Smethwick, where the cost of living crisis has almost tripled its food bill.

A Gurdwara in Smethwick serving hot meals to up to 15,00 people every week is now spending almost three times as much on food, due to the cost of living crisis.

The food bill has gone up on average about 25 to 30% - from £3,000 in lockdown when it was serving 10,000 hot meals a week, to now £8,000 a month on food.

The Gurdwara feeds many faiths, not just Sikhism - and those with no faith.

Sarbjit Singh from Smethwick Gurdwara told ITV News Central that budgeting or cutting down on food isn't an option, as sharing food among communities is a strong foundation of Sikhism.

He says the highest increase in costs has been butter, ghee and flour.

"One of the pillars of Sikhism is feeding the congregation. Everybody's welcome through the front door."

Sarbjit says they're trying to be more efficient with food and not waste as much, by asking the congregation to make sure they only have what they can eat and not put any in the bin, which could have been put to someone else's plate.