A Cardiff restaurant has been a top three finalist in the Community Engagement Award. What did they do for the local people?
On a freezing evening in Cardiff, the smell of freshly fried fish floats up the Cowbridge Road, mingling with the warmth of salty chips wrapped in paper and the laughter of the restaurant’s patrons. Inside the restaurant, the hum of regulars talking enthusiastically with the staff behind the counter drowns out the sound of batter hitting hot oil.
Zero Plus is a local restaurant recognized for its community involvement. It was a finalist in the top three of the Community Engagement Award at the UK’s National Fish & Chip Awards in January this year. The award was created to highlight the often-overlooked role that fish and chip restaurants play in towns and cities across the country, recognising restaurants that strive to make a difference to their communities and embody the spirit of their local area.
“All I can say is that we love what we do, we’re proud of it, and we hope to continue for many more years,” said restaurant owner Zohaib Hussain. “We’ve been here for 34 years. We feel a strong responsibility to support our community.”
In 1991, Zohaib’s parents purchased the restaurant. “It was already called this name when my parents bought it,” Zohaib said. “The meaning behind it is simple: after zero, the only way is plus.” This philosophy has guided the business for over 30 years, not just in terms of food but also in its role as a community hub.
One of Zero Plus’s most impactful community initiatives is its Young Voices Project, an educational workshop in partnership with Lansdowne Primary School, WalesOnline, and the food operator T.Quality. The project resulted in the creation of a custom newspaper, The Lansdowne Times, filled with student-written articles about Canton. What makes the project special for Zohaib is that Lansdowne is the primary school he attended as a child, he said: “It’s really close to my heart.”
“We wanted to hear what the children had to say about their neighbourhood,” Zohaib said. “We encouraged them to write articles, and we published them in a real newspaper that was distributed to local businesses and residents.”
In this project, they awarded prizes to each child who wrote an article, the top three articles received £50 vouchers. And all the children were invited back to have lunch and presentations with their teachers.
“When we launched the newspaper project, we wanted to do something different and meaningful,” Zohaib recalled. “Since we had won the Marketing and Innovation Award last year, we thought, ‘Why not use that to create something special for the community?’ The school children loved it, and WalesOnline said they wanted to use this to help children develop their writing skills and encourage their interest in journalism.”
The project was so well received that most of the participants asked the restaurant to organise another one. Zohaib is already planning improvements to the program for next year: “Now we’re considering adding more schools to make it an even bigger newspaper.”
Zero Plus has taken part in various Canton community initiatives, including litter picking and installing disabled ramps. They also created a fun time capsule project with Lansdowne Primary School, burying time capsules made by the children under the floor while the restaurant was closed for renovations. They also regularly hold charity fundraisers and cooperate with local nursing homes. Zohaib said: “We feel a deep responsibility to look after our community. ”
Besides community involvement, Zero Plus has made great strides in sustainability. They prioritize sourcing ingredients responsibly and let customers know where their food comes from.
“We have a screen in the restaurant that shows the boat where our fish is caught and the farm where our potatoes are grown, ” said Zohaib. “For us, it’s not just about selling food, it’s about making connections. We’ve swapped our polystyrene trays for biodegradable ones, and we always scan the market to find the most environmentally friendly options.”
Of course, having good food is key to attracting customers for a fish and chip restaurant. Zohaib and his team adapt dishes to customers’ changing tastes. “When my parents first opened, fish was always served with the skin on, ” Zohaib said. “But younger customers prefer skinless fillets, we’ve changed our fish to be completely skinless to move with the times. We also introduced smaller portions to make it more digestible.” As well as fish and chips, their chicken curry is also popular.
In the future, Zero Plus plans to expand its activities. “This year, we’re thinking of working with a school for special needs children,” Zohaib said. “We want to help them develop life skills, whether that’s stocking shelves, packaging food, or interacting with customers. We’re always looking for new ways to support our area.”
For Zohaib and his team, community engagement isn’t just a business strategy, it’s a way of life. Just as he said: “We live and work in Canton. I think it’s important for other businesses to do the same because if we don’t look after our local community, who will?”