A Lanarkshire takeaway owner has told of his incredible experience of being in the company of Royals at the Queen's annual Garden Party.
The Original Mr Chef boss Wasim Arshad was invited to the "once in a lifetime" occasion, which took place at the end of June, for his charitable efforts during the pandemic.
And he even managed to exchange a few words with Prince Charles himself on the day.
During the summer, Queen Elizabeth traditionally hosts a number of Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, and one is held in Scotland at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
They see over 30,000 lucky guests attend as the Queen gets the chance to speak to a broad range of people, all of whom have been chosen for making a positive impact in their community.
However, this year the monarch was not able to host the Garden Party in Edinburgh, however heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales, was able to host the celebration in her place.
Wasim, who runs award-winning takeaways in Hamilton and Uddingston, has seen his business nominated for several top gongs in recent years including the British Takeaway Awards and the Scottish Curry Awards.
He has also led charitable missions through the course of the pandemic, delivering free food and supplies to those struggling in the community.
And last year, the food joint created 35 local jobs in Hamilton after the food joint branched out with another Lanarkshire premises.
Wasim also organised an international charity project last year where he was able to help 50 deprived families in South Sudan by providing chickens and hens, used for eggs and breeding - providing vital income for those in poverty.
After attending the Garden Party on June 29, Wasim told Lanarkshire Live : "This recognition and invite goes back to 2020 during the pandemic when I along with Mr Chef helped to make and distribute thousands of meals within the local community.
"To receive an invitation to attend the Queen's Royal Garden Party was an absolute honour and quite simply a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"Upon arriving at Holyrood Palace, it was quickly evident that this was not a normal gathering.
"Security on every corner, top hats, lovely dresses and most of all a sense of occasion.
"The gardens of the palace where we all gathered are as expected beautiful and immaculately presented. I had the pleasure to speak to some of the lords before the actual formalities started."
The takeaway owner was up close with many of the dignitaries who turned out for the event.
That saw him enjoy a brief chat with Prince Charles, and also grab a selfie with the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Wasim explained: "I was lucky to be at the front so managed a few words with prince Charles and our very own Nicola sturgeon.
"It was quick and brief and they had many people to talk with. 'Hope you are enjoying your day and let’s hope the sun keeps shining. Well done on being here', said Prince Charles."
"It was lovely watching military parades and the Queen's artillery bands performing. The food and drinks as you can imagine were exceptional but the mint and cucumber sandwiches are definitely not for me.
"Maybe we can convince the royal family to allow catering to be done by Scotland’s Outstanding Awards winner, The Original Mr Chef next time!"
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