With a dip in demand and time on their hands, a group of Dieppe businesses have teamed up to make 1,000 meals for those in need.

Xtreme Cold is supplying the kitchen space, much of the manpower and the freezer facility, Partner Seafood is supplying the cod, Cavendish Farms the potatoes, and Sai Krishna Food Service designed the menu.

The small team will dish up their meals into single serve containers, and freeze them until they can be donated to the Food Depot Alimentaire, Crossroads for Women and the Multicultural Association of Greater Moncton (MAGMA).

Shikha and Ramen Sobti immigrated to Moncton from Dubai and started Sai Krishna Food Service Corp. a year ago.

The couple makes and sells frozen samosas and sold about 50,000 of the savoury pastries in their first year of business.

"It was going pretty well, people love our samosas, and we are supplying to University of Moncton, Mount Allison [University], Casino New Brunswick — but because of the current situation, the business got impacted," said Shikha.

Ramen said they are used to working hard, having run businesses for more than two decades, but with the dip in demand it seemed like the perfect opportunity to focus on other things.

Xtreme Cold, a feezer and distribution warehouse provided the space, Partner seafood donated the fish and Sai Krishna designed the menu. Butter cod fish is an Atlantic Canadian twist on an Indian classic. (Nicolas Steinbach/Radio Canada)

"This is the right time for us to relax and think about the community," said Ramen.

He says the 1000 meals they are making are an Atlantic Canadian spin on an Indian food classic. Ramen took the rich creamy sauce from the perennial favourite, butter chicken, but used cod instead and added roasted potatoes.

Butter cod a way to thank the community

They hope the meal will be something special for people who are having a hard time.

"Moncton welcomed us when we came to Canada so that is a thing in our mind. It's payback time to the community that welcomed us, who gave us so much love and affection," said Shikha.

Paul Farrah, the CEO of Xtreme Cold, said the group will first make and distribute 500 meals "to people in need right now in the greater Moncton area."

Ramen and Shikha Sobti, Geraldine Cotte and Paul Farrah are making 1000 frozen meals to give to MAGMA, Crossroads for Women and the Moncton Food Depot. (Paul Farrah, Xtreme Cold)

When those have been handed out, they'll make another 500.

He said it isn't an easy thing to do when money is tight for so many companies, but he hopes it inspires others.

"I really hope other companies will take the lead and follow up and do the same thing."

'A thousand smiles'

Shikha Sobti said ,while the pandemic has been a set back, she believes her business will bounce back.

"We are taking baby steps and we are going to come back because we have our existing clients. As soon as the business picks up I think we will be back."

Regardless of what happens in the future, she's happy to contribute to something positive today.

"I hope people who are in need, they love this and we can give a thousand smiles, at least."