Five years ago, when he arrived in the UK as a refugee, Syrian chef Imad Alarnab, who had only £12 in his pocket, opened the doors of his restaurant in central London on Monday.

“This is not because I am strong or brave,” says Alarnab, who begins to well up as staff scurry through the restaurant, prepping for their first service. “I am proof that if you try to do something good for people, something good will happen to you. This is a fact.”