70 CURRY LIFE

TURKISHAIRLINES.COM

CONTENTS

6

20

Home Office visa cap hits hospitality

My trip to Colombo with Curry Life

12

39 Government bans credit and debit card payment charges

Bad times for Jamie’s Barby New BBCA board pledge to increase membership at AGM

Peanut allergies are a wake-up call for curry industry

18

1

40

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EDITORIAL

World Curry Expo highlights all things curry In this issue we’re delighted to announce news of Curry Life’s World Curry Expo – our unique event for the spice industry, organised in conjunction with Just Eat. Running alongside the Curry Life Awards and Gala Dinner on Sunday, 7th October 2018, our sizzling celebration of all things curry fires off in the Nine King Suite, of the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY from 11am to 5pm.

We’re expecting an incredible 4,000 visitors to attend over the course of the day and evening - not surprisingly, as the event offers everything for the forward-looking curry business owner and allied industries. It offers a unique opportunity for suppliers to showcase their products and services, including well-known brands, and technological innovation, plus exclusive deals to visitors.

And, if you want help and resources to grow your business and boost profits the

WCE provides a platform to interact with those with a finger on the pulse of the curry industry who are helping to shape UK Indian restaurants of the future.

Curry Life has always been a trend setter in finding new ideas to help and promote curry businesses and this is another initiative of Curry Life for uniting our industry and celebrating all things curry.

The event is sponsored and supported by Cobra Beer, Travel Link and Unisoft.

Combined with the glittering Curry Life Awards and Gala Dinner, we believe the occasion offers an unmissable package for all associated with the spice industry. We look forward to seeing you there!

Full details of the WCE can be found on page 4. For further information about World Curry Expo, please visit: www.worldcurryexpo.com or call: 020 8550 4179.

Clarity on immigration It’s great to see UK exports of food and drink soaring in an unprecedented demand for our quality produce all over the world (report on page 16). However, our restaurant sector, continues to struggle with uncertainties created by Brexit, its potential impact on staff shortages, and pressures created by the Home Office immigration cap.

The quota for visas issued by the UK government has been reached for the third month in a row (report on page 6) meaning that Tier 2 (General) visas have been refused for hundreds of skilled applicants including chefs. In December, the salary threshold for entry hit an unprecedented £55,000 with January reaching £46,000. It is impossible for the small, independent restaurants in our sector to compete with such high salaries to enable them to sponsor specialist chefs to fill skilled staff vacancies. Furthermore, as the new set of quarterly immigration figures show increasing evidence of ‘Brexodus’ i.e. a decline in the number of EU nationals

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coming to work in Britain whilst others return home, options for recruiting essential staff are diminishing by the day.

We call on the government to change the points system or create exemptions. We especially welcome the initiative taken by the British Takeaway Campaign, spearheaded by Just Eat (report on page 6), that asks for clarity on policies of immigration for the thousands of takeaway restaurants across the UK, which contribute £9.4bn to the economy and support more than 231,000 jobs.

The BTC argues that we need the development of a long-term immigration system that does not discriminate between EU and non-EU migrants but prioritises skills and sector shortages.

We support their call to revise the shortage of occupation list to include specialist chefs to help our restaurants and takeaways. This is the only way they can recruit the skilled staff necessary to continue providing the nation with its favourite foods.

NEWS

WORLD CURRY EXPO An opportunity for suppliers to showcase all things curry

The World Curry Expo to be held in London this autumn, organised by trade magazine Curry Life will be showcasing some of the curry industry’s favourite brands and talents in an effort to celebrate all things curry.

The WCE is set to offer everything you need for your curry businesses under one roof. All things to do with curry will be put on display by suppliers offering exclusive deals to visitors, especially to the UK’s vibrant Curry Restaurant Sector.

The World Curry Expo will run alongside Curry Life Awards and Gala Dinner on the same day this year. This day-long event, will start on Sunday, 7 October 2018, 11am at the Nine King Suite, ground level of the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY and the exhibition will run until 5pm.

The second and final part of the event starts at 6pm at the

4

NEWS

With 4000 visitors expected to attend WCE, a show that restaurateurs and suppliers in the food business can’t afford to miss.

Westbourne Suite, lower ground floor of the same hotel. The finale of the event is strictly for those who have pre-booked seats and invited guests only. The WCE will conclude with annual Curry Life Awards, Gala Dinner and entertainments.

With 4000 visitors expected to attend WCE, a show that restaurateurs, suppliers and curry lovers can’t afford to miss, according to the organiser, Curry Life.

Curry Life, which is the popular trade magazine and widely regarded as the authoritative voice for the Curry Houses in Britain behind this exclusive all things curry exhibition and promotion initiative. The London based Curry Life Magazine and Curry Life Events has been successfully organising curry festivals, exhibitions, curry competitions and awards ceremonies throughout the world, including Europe, Middle East and South East Asia.

The WCE in London and Curry Life Awards are being organised in association with Just Eat. The event is also sponsored and supported by Cobra Beer, Chivas, Travel Link and Unisoft.

Syed Ahmed, CEO of Curry Life Events, said: “Foodies with authentic tastes of curry and restaurateurs looking for fresh ideas and good deals are expected to attend

the World Curry Expo. The suppliers looking to expand their business to Curry Restaurants Sector should really take advantage of this exclusive World Curry Expo to display their products and services and we are confident that the WCE will attract thousands of visitors.”

Syed Pasha, the Editor in Chief Curry Life Magazine, said: "London is the home of the biggest multi-cultural communities in the Europe, if not the world. There are more curry restaurants in Greater London than any other cities in the world. Whether this is hot or mild, Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Malaysian, Thai or Chinese, the London is the global hub for curry and this is why we are proud to organise the World Curry Expo here in London.

“Curry Life always has been a trend setter of finding new ideas to help promote British Curry Businesses across the world and this is another imitative of Curry Life for uniting our industry and celebrating all things curry,” he added.

For further information about World Curry Expo, please visit: www.worldcurryexpo.com or call: 020 8550 4179.

NEWS

HOme Office viSA CAp HiTS HoSpiTAliTy

The staffing crisis in the restaurant and hospitality industry has deepened as the UK monthly quota for visas issued by the government was reached for the third month in a row.

In June 2015, the cap on Tier 2 (General) visas was reached for the first time after being introduced in 2011. Now, the quota has been breached for an unprecedented three consecutive months, sparking concerns about skilled shortages, especially in health and care and hospitality sectors.

As a result, hundreds of UK employers and businesses have had their applications refused to recruit skilled workers from outside the EU because the quota of spaces available for that month had been exceeded.

A Tier2 visa is applicable to people who have been offered a skilled job in the UK and are from outside the EEA and Switzerland. The applicants must be sponsored, and the work must relate to that of the sponsor organisation, allowing skilled migrants to remain in the UK for up to five years. All jobs not on the shortage of occupation lists must be advertised in Britain first unless the salary is a minimum of £159,600.

The minimum annual salary for a job to qualify for a Tier 2 visa is usually £30,000 or £20,800 for a graduate recruit, however December saw the figure increase to £55,000, with applications set at £46,000 a year in January. With a points-based immigration system, applicants are prioritised according to those with the highest salary, with the minimum annual pay adjusted according to the number of applicants above the cap and their points rating.

Once the cap is reached only those applicants with the highest salaries are accepted. Hospitality business have warned that the tight immigration controls will lead to a “perfect storm” at a time when the sector is still adapting to cope with greater costs of the minimum wage, auto-enrolment and additional taxes.

Sector leaders and organisations are now calling for the government to step in to change the points or create exemptions.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “The Tier 2 visa route is intended to fill gaps in the labour market. When demand exceeds the month’s allocation of tier 2 visas, priority is given to applicants filling a shortage or PHD-level occupations.”

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BTC comments on Home Affairs Select Committee report The British Takeaway Campaign (BTC), an umbrella group representing those involved in the supply and preparation of the nation’s favourite foods, commented on the Home Affairs Select Committee report on immigration.

Ibrahim Dogus, Chair of the British Takeaway Campaign, said: “The Home Affairs Select Committee report underlines the urgent need for clarity on immigration for thousands of small independent takeaway restaurants which contribute £9.4bn to the economy and support more than 231,000 jobs.

“More than a third of takeaway restaurants say they are unable to recruit the right staff, particularly chefs, front of house roles and delivery drivers. Many are anxious that the situation will get worse – more than a third believe that the UK’s decision to leave the EU will make it more difficult to recruit for their business.

“That’s why the BTC is calling for the development of a long-term immigration system that does not discriminate between EU and non-EU migrants, and instead prioritises skills and sector shortages – helping to support thousands of takeaway restaurants. This needs to go hand in hand with investment in highquality vocational training in order to build a pipeline of home grown talent.”

Among the measures the BTC called for in its submission to the Migration Advisory Committee are for the Government to: • Revise the Shortage Occupation List to include specialist chefs in shortage cuisines that work in takeaways.

• Ensure that limits on free movement are kept to a minimum and are focused on areas of skill shortage.

• Create a Business Visa, providing low skilled migrants with a 12-24 month visa – binding them by contract to an employer, with scope to review after the original employment period.

• Provide support and incentives to the takeaway industry to invest in training employees locally.

• Develop a long-term immigration system that does not discriminate between EU and non-EU migrants, and instead prioritises skills and sector shortages.

NEWS

indian restaurant fined £9,000 for ‘fatberg’ A company responsible for Saffron Cottage Indian restaurant near Shrewsbury has been ordered to pay a maximum fine for a huge build-up of fat in the pipe works of the premises that caused a blockage and polluted a nearby watercourse.

The fine was reduced to £9,226 including costs because owners, SCE Catering Limited entered a guilty plea at Telford Magistrate’s Court in January.

The prosecution for the pollution was brought by Severn Trent under section III of the Water Industry Act. The law states that it is an offence to discharge anything into the sewer that may interfere with the free flow.

The unsavoury blockage emanating from the restaurant, made up of fat, oil and grease, resulted in a sewer overflowing into the local watercourse.

Despite several letters warning of the

consequences, onsite meetings and request for grease traps to be installed at the restaurant, no action was taken by the owners.

This was only the third time such a prosecution has been made in the UK’s history but white “fatberg” incidents are becoming increasingly common, especially in major cities. Chris Giles, head of network operations for Severn Trent Water said that the verdict represented an important milestone for them. “We really want this to make other companies think about what they are doing with regards to disposing of fats, oils and grease and how it impacts our customers,” he said.

“Legal action is a last resort for us, but our customers and the environment shouldn’t have to suffer because of the actions of one business not following the rules and ignoring our advice.”

MASSIVE DISCOUNT at WORLD CURRY EXPO

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Hotelympia returns in March The UK’s leading hospitality and foodservice event takes place from 5th to 8th March 2018 at ExCeL London.

The show which has been in existence for over 82 years, stands at the forefront

of hospitality innovation, bringing thousands of businesses and buyers to the market to champion one of the UK’s most vibrant industries. This year Hotelympia returns with four brand new shows providing a platform for restaurants, hotels, pubs, casual dining and contract caterers to meet, review and source from the finest suppliers available in the market.

For further information visit hotelympia.com

NEWS

CHilli poWdEr

restaurateur cleared of assault

Karmul Islam

An Indian restaurant owner expressed relief after being cleared of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a customer, after he threw curry powder in his face.

Karmul Islam of the Prince of Bengal restaurant in Tonypandy, South Wales said he had always been “confident” that the British legal system would come to the right decision.

Thanking his friends and family for supporting him whilst waiting for and throughout the five-day trial, he also paid tribute to the people of Rhonda who had given him “so much” over the 20 years he had been running restaurants in the area.

The incident took place on 21st January 2017 when David Evans and his wife Michelle, who were dining at the curry house, complained that their main course tasted of paraffin and was shiny, rubbery and tough.

Mr Evans claimed that Mr Islam responded to the complaint in an aggressive way and started swearing at them. He said Mr Islam then stood at the kitchen doorway pointing and shouting before throwing hot chilli in his eyes.

However, addressing the jury at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court for the defence, Ruth Smith said the couple had “tailored their account” and that it was “riddled with inconsistencies.”

There were “vast chunks” of the evening (such as the number of times waiters came to the table), of which they had no recollection but had been confirmed by CCTV footage.

She questioned whether the couple were drunk and as a result, became abusive, with Mr Evans threatening violence to Mr Islam.

The jury heard that the couple had ordered two bottles of wine and two Cobra beers before the incident, but Mrs Evans claimed they had only finished one bottle of wine.

Ms Smith said the couple had exaggerated the effects of the chilli powder on Mr Evans’ eyes. They claimed it had affected him long term, although he was discharged by the hospital with good vision recorded within a few days.

Mr Islam had tried backing away and giving space to Mr Evans but when this did not work, he acted accordingly to avert aggression. His intention, said Ms Smith “wasn’t to hurt Mr Evans but to prevent violence being used against him.” Mr Islam has since closed the restaurant and now works as a certified air conditioning engineer.

illegal workers flee inspectors Illegal workers in an Indian restaurant in Manchester fled through the kitchen as inspection officers entered the building.

Men ran from Swadesh Indian diner on Portland Street in the city centre on two separate occasions.

The first incident took place in May 2016 when four men were arrested as they tried to escape the building. Managers were subsequently fined £10,500 in a civil penalty.

In September 2017, in a further visit by the Home Office, a man who tried to run away was found to be in breach of his right to remain in the UK. A civil penalty for £15,000 was issued which remains unpaid, according to the council.

Manchester Council is now reviewing the restaurant’s licence to serve alcohol under the Licensing Act 2003. An amendment to the Act was introduced in 2016 to safeguard against illegal immigrants working in places where alcohol was sold.

The grounds for reviewing the licence states: “The licence holder will fail to meet the licensing objectives of prevention of crime and disorder, as illegal working has been identified at these premises.”

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NEWS

Consumers buy organic food for taste and health

not environmental concerns

Shoppers usually claim they buy organic food because it is environmentally friendly and has higher standards of animal welfare. However, research by the University of Kent has found that on the contrary, better taste and health benefits are key motivators for buying organic produce.

The study from the School of Economics, analysed the organic shopping habits of consumers in Canterbury to discover their price thresholds and rationale for buying

Brits who lunch

organic foods such as chicken, milk, bananas, carrots and apples.

In total, 104 individuals were surveyed about their organic food preferences and buying habits after they had left one of three major supermarket chains. They were asked about their willingness to pay more for organic food and their reasons for doing so, or not doing so, and their till receipts were analysed.

The data found that the customers were spending an average of £3.84 of their total bill on organic produce, around 26% of the total. This is higher than many previous studies have found and suggests attitudes towards purchasing organic food are changing.

When buyers were asked about how willing they were to pay for organic produce most responses were at an average of a 13% premium on non-organic products. However,

Brits are abandoning their pack up lunches in favour of eating out, says new research from Mintel.

The findings show that the number of consumers in Britain going out for lunch as an everyday occasion has risen to 76 percent in 2017 up 12 per cent from last year.

Despite the recent pinch on consumers’ wallets two in five (39 per cent) in the UK now say they are eating out every day, up from 35 per cent in 2016. A further 26 per cent are eating lunch out of the home once a week or more, compared to just 22 per cent last year.

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the most consumers an average of 9% more for organic products.

However, meat items, where price premiums are often highest, remain a small part of organic sales, with just 3% of meat products sold from organic producers, suggesting people are still unwilling to pay more for meat items labelled organic.

Despite this, when asked why they were willing to pay more for organic items most consumers stated they bought items for ‘non-personal’ benefits such as the belief organic food is environmentally friendly, and meat is produced in more ethically acceptable ways.

But when the data from the surveys was analysed it showed that ‘selfish’ reasons for buying organic food such as improved taste and health benefits are in fact the strongest drivers to buying organic food.

The findings could help supermarkets, organic food producers and even governments reconsider how they advertise organic produce to appeal to buyers by promoting taste and health benefits, rather than focusing on the environmental benefits of organic food, as is usually promoted.

The paper, entitled The Organic Food Premium: A Local Assessment in the UK, has been published in the International Journal of the Economics of Business (IJEB).

Commentators are putting it down to a changing mood in the country as 41 per cent of those who buy lunch out as an ever day occasion say they are influenced by their level of happiness in deciding whether to eat out.

Helen Fricker, Senior Leisure Analyst at Mintel said: “The rise in the number of consumers choosing to eat out at lunch is due to a variety of reasons. The range of options for lunch on the high street has grown which means that those with dietary needs are far better catered to than in previous years. State of mind is also a key driver behind lunchtime food choice and the increased availability of healthy, moodboosting and functional foods is tapping into this need.”

NEWS

Bad times for Jamie’s Barby Following closures of his Italian restaurants in December 2017, Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa steakhouse chain in London has now plunged into administration.

The outlet at Piccadilly closed with a possible loss of 80 jobs, however in a lastminute deal, the Barbecoa restaurant at St Paul’s cathedral was saved when One New Change Limited, a newly created subsidiary of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, stepped in to purchase the assets and lease.Jamie’s Italian ran into difficulties in December when the celebrity chef had to

pump £3m of his own funds into the chain, with a planned closure of 12 of its 37 UK branches affecting at least 200 jobs. Court documents revealed that Jamie’s Italian had debts of £71.5m including overdrafts, loans, sums owed to landlords, HM Revenue and Custom, suppliers and wages owed to staff.

The upmarket Barbecoa restaurants were set up by Jamie Oliver and his friend Adam Perry Lang, a barbecue expert, in 2007.

According to recent figures, Barbecoa which trades under the name of Barby made a loss of £473,758 from January 2016-17, having previously made a profit of £246,927. It’s thought that the restaurant had been hit by the high demand for home deliveries.

A spokesman confirmed that Barbecoa St Paul’s will continue to trade “as normal.”

Anoki Indian restaurant launches own ready meals Anoki, one of the best known Indian restaurants in Derby has announced it is to launch its own range of ready meals.

The move comes after founder, Naveed Khaliq and his team of chefs ran a pilot scheme to see if the idea was feasible and it proved to be a huge success.

The ready meals are freshly cooked by Anoki’s team of chefs and include popular dishes with a selection of starters, seven main courses, rice and Naan breads.

Known as the Express range, the dishes deliver “restaurant quality food at a fraction of the price” according to Naveed.

“We’ve spent the last 12 months

Former little Chef reopens as little indian Chef

tweaking and perfecting the range in-house, ensuring that storage, cooking and reheating times are set to guarantee optimal Anoki flavours,” he said.

“Customers can now pick up their favourite Anoki meals from the fridge here, then heat at home and eat at their leisure.”

The Anoki dishes are available to collect from 3pm at branches on London Road in Derby, Barker Gate in Nottingham and the A38 at Egginton with prices of £2.95 for starters and main courses from £3.50 with extras such as rice and naan from £1.25.

An Indian restaurant has opened on the site of a former Little Chef diner on the A55 in Llanddulas in Wales.

The man behind the aptly named Little Indian Chef is Abdul Malik who is a well known Indian restaurateur in the area having run the well established Suhail Indian restaurant in Prestatyn for over 20 years. With the backing of Barclays, Mr Malik has improved the building and opened shortly before Christmas. The restaurant had been closed since 2015 so required considerable upgrading. Now Mr Malik intends to build up an excellent reputation for its food.

“We have invested in the site to upgrade it as it was rundown when we took over,” he said. “The aim now is to build up our reputation for our food, having a nice restaurant is one thing but it is making sure our food is good all the time that counts in the long term.”

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NEWS

Boozers wake up to re-cycling hangover Britain's drinkers, already amongst the heaviest drinkers in Europe, are responsible for one of industry's biggest headaches – how to deal with the waste products of both production and consumption.

These are the findings of BusinessWaste.co.uk, a waste management company, which says that consumers would be shocked if they knew of the waste behind their favourite tipple.

Alongside the familiar sight of bottle banks and tin recycling, brewers and distillers are having to cope with the ever-growing mountain of by-products from their business. But whilst bottles and tins are easily and readily recycled, some brewers have traditionally just poured away their waste products.

According to official statistics, 70% of British people say they drink alcohol on a weekly basis.

Every year Britons get through: • 1.5bn bottles of wine • 108m bottles of vodka • 70m bottles of Scotch • 30m bottles of gin “Aside from the obvious health risks, we can report that up to 50% of alcohol containers aren't recycled and end up in general waste bins," says BusinessWaste.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall. "As an environmental health check for the nation, that's not particularly good.

"That means millions of tons of glass and aluminium not being recycled every year, and that's a terrible waste."

Waste is just as pressing an issue in the brewing and distilling trade. Figures show that the Scotch whisky industry alone produces 500,000 tons of solid waste every year, and a staggering 1.6bn litres of waste liquids. While the solid waste (called "draff") is usually

spread on agricultural land, the liquid ("pot ale") is sometimes just poured down the drain.

There's hope that chaff and pot ale can be turned into other products, and a process has just been revealed that turns the two into useful chemicals such as acetone, and fuels like butanol and ethanol.

"That's the kind of 'out of the box' thinking that could save the distilling industry thousands every year," says Mark Hall. "Not only in cutting their waste bills, but selling their by-products as a premium product."

BusinessWaste.co.uk says that other sectors of the drinks industry should look at their by-products to see if there is a viable alternative to waste.

"With raw commodities becoming more expensive every day, it means that the gap between waste and value is narrowing," Hall says.

"New processes could save the booze industry from a financial hangover, but they've got to invest first."

1.5bn bottles of wine

108m bottles of vodka

70m bottles of Scotch 14

30m bottles of gin

NEWS

F&B exports see Brexit boost Long known for their provenance and quality, UK food and drink products have always been popular all over the world. Now, recent figures have shown overseas exports are soaring. The British now despatch record amounts of home produced foods including

And January to December 2017 saw the UK sending an unprecedented £85 million worth of cheese to France £21 million of chocolate to Belgium and £2 million of tea to China.

Secretary of Stage for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural

Top five countries for UK exports: Germany (£1.4 billion)

Netherlands (£1.5 billion)

USA (£2.3 billion)

largest market outside of the EU – worth £2.3 billion last year and rising three per cent from the previous year.

The Director General of the Food and Drink Federation, Ian Wright CBE said: “We are a proud home to many of the world’s most beloved brands. We must now build on this platform in order to take advantage of new opportunities and the growing global appetite for great British and Northern Irish manufacturing as we leave the EU.”

Major UK exports include: • Whisky (£4.5 billion) • Salmon (£720 million) • Chocolate (£680 million) • Cheese (£623 million) • Beer (£603 million) • Shellfish (£600 million)

Irish Republic (£3.7 billion)

Top five countries for UK exports: • Irish Republic (£3.7 billion) • France (£2.3 billion) • USA (£2.3 billion) • Netherlands (£1.5 billion) • Germany (£1.4 billion)

France (£2.3 billion)

Major UK exports include: cheese to France, chocolates to Belgium and even tea to China.

The positive figures continue to highlight British tastes and standards around the world, despite what some have referred to as “doom-mongering”

by Brexit sceptics.

Overall, overseas exports increased to £22 billion with UK food and beverage businesses selling their products to 217 markets worldwide. The record figures include a “ginaissance” in alcoholic beverages with international sales of UK and gin reaching over £500 million.

There has also been an upsurge in international demand for milk and cream which increased by 61 per cent, salmon by 23 per cent and pork by 14 per cent.

Affairs, Michael Gove said: “Farmers, fishermen and our food producers are all helping to deliver a Brexit bonus – Whisky Chocolate with more exports of British (£4.5 billion) (£680 food and drink than ever. million) “Contrary to the constant negativity of the doom-mongers, the British economy is going from strength to strength showing that a Cheese Green Brexit can deliver for the (£623 whole country.

Salmon “This growing hunger for UK million) produce reveals the huge (£720million) opportunities for producers Shellfish and manufacturers as the UK prepares to leave the European Beer (£600 Union.” (£603 million) He added that the US remains the million)

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NEWS

New BBCA board pledge to increase membership at AGM Results of the recent election and new National Executive Board members were announced at the British Bangladeshi Caterers Association (BBCA) AGM which took place on Sunday, 28th January 2018 at the Impressions Banqueting Hall in West Ham, East London.

In addition to the general day-to-day reports provided by outgoing founding President, Eafor Ali and Secretary General, Shahanoor Khan, a specially commissioned commemorative plaque was presented to all Founder members at the event as well as those who were in absentia.

Results were announced by the Election Commissioners who were led by Professor Shagir Bhakth Faruk. The commissioners confirmed that the election went ahead without any issues and was wholly uncontested with an outcome as follows: Key positions of National Executive Board

that I believe will help shape the future of this industry. More details will be posted on our website shortly as I create a plan of action, but we will be making the regional chapters an on-going priority amongst other ambitious but equally achievable plans. Our main priority however, is always going to be the membership. And to this end, we will be looking at how we can bring value to our offering, where it is but a nobrainer for them to join our organisation.”

Secretary General, Salim Chowdhury, added: “My main priority as the current Secretary General is to increase and proliferate our national membership. I shall be working very closely with the President and the new Membership Secretary to champion our fellow caterers and make this a meaningful association for them to be a part of. We will be making a series of announcements in the near future, to this effect and shall be conveying our message to all sectors using all the tools at our disposal.”

Chief Treasurer, Tofozzul Miah said: “It is a great privilege to assume responsibility as the incoming Chief Treasurer of the BBCA for the 2018-2020 term. I shall be looking to work with our new board to ensure we offer complete transparency and accountability in our financial affairs throughout the next term at all times.”

Motin Miah, the new Membership Secretary, said his priority would be to increase membership and work with the catering sector to offer “real and tangible benefits” for members across the board. “A new and concerted membership drive will be initiated over the coming months, which I will be sharing with all stakeholders through all available channels in due course.”

President – Cllr. Shamsul Islam Shelim Secretary General – Salim Chowdhury Chief Treasurer – Tofuzzul Miah

Organising secretary – Riaz Ali Membership Secretary – Motin Miah Press & Communications Secretary – Ataur Rahman The new President of the BBCA, Cllr. Shamsul Islam Shelim thanked the Founding President and Secretary General for their hard work and dedication in setting up and running the BBCA over its first term.

He continued: “I am very much looking forward to getting active with my new team – consisting of some bright stars

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My trip to Colombo with CURRY LifE

Chef Vijay, chef Rupert, chef Kamran and chef Abul

By rupert rowley

NEWS Rupert Rowley is a Michelin Star chef who recently travelled to Colombo, Sri Lanka and headed the Curry Life delegation to Taste of Britain Curry Festival at Hilton Colombo. Here, he writes about the Festival and his experience on tour …

H

aving fully recovered from my trip to India it was nice to have a call from Belal of Curry Life asking to meet up in Rotherham over a curry as he and Pasha (his brother) were passing through.

As I was closing the door my wife shouted: “Make sure you don’t sign yourself up for another three-week trip or there will be trouble!” All this was still echoing in my head as I sat listening to Belal telling me the next festival had been agreed in Sri Lanka in January and it was for only five nights. I thought that must be OK

British Curry Dishes

wife, I have now seen more than enough pictures to know this looks like a fantastic and interesting place to visit.

Menus done, bags packed, various tubs of white powders from MSK have been hidden in the suitcase.

This always concerns me having watched Midnight Express and I know we will have a stop in Istanbul.

On arrival at the Birmingham

British car Mini was in display

as she did say three weeks and January is always quiet in the life of chef, so I agreed and started googling Sri Lanka as it’s a country I have never been to.

With things all settled with the

Airport meeting with old friends Abul and Pasha, we start talking about the trip.

Although we were big team on the trip to Colombo, we were split up to take different flights because of

21

location and convenience. Belal and his wife Taslima flew from London a day earlier. Shamsul Islam another important colleague from the Curry Life team, also had to fly out a day earlier to make preparations. That meant five of us: myself, chef Abul Monsur, chef Syedus Zaman Kamran, chef Vijay Singh Panwar and Syed Pasha from Curry Life were the last contingent to fly out from Birmingham together, enjoying the hospitality of wonderful Turkish Airlines.

I had not realized, in my ignorance, that it was a five-hours flight to Istanbul and then another 10 to Colombo. A quick detour to the duty free to pick up a pillow was needed.

Twenty hours later we arrived in Colombo having not slept a wink because, I was sat next to a nice lady who was travelling alone with her two-year-old son and I was her designated assistant.

Having cleared passport control we headed to the taxi for transfer to the hotel. It was about forty-five minutes’ drive to the Hilton Hotel. As we turn the corner to go up the very lavish driveway to the hotel there is a huge billboard with the Curry Life logo on advertising the Taste of Britain Curry Festival and guess who’s ugly mug is

Chef Rupert and menu of Ministry of CRAB

grinning at me from the poster!

We checked into our rooms and a quick change and we are all in our chef whites and down for a briefing with head chef Kazi. I have a feeling this is going to be bit different from my previous experience in India the year before. Ten of us sit there as chef Kazi goes through hour by hours and day by day what we will be doing and where we will need to be. I left very impressed from the briefing. This is a chef after my own heart very organised. As the week goes on, the enormity of the chef Kazi’s job becomes apparent to me; if he wasn’t this organised it would be a disaster. The hotel has a total of 177 chefs and makes everything, and I mean everything, on site even down to the huge variety of breads available to toast for breakfast.

After the meeting, I go one way and the curry chefs go to look at their kitchen. I have sent orders and recipe sheets through beforehand. This was a necessity on this trip due to the quick turnaround. I am off now for a tasting and to go through my dishes for Restaurant IL Ponte. It very soon becomes apparent to me what a joy it will be working with these chefs. The tasting is great, and we get everything sorted for the press launch on the next day.

Before I left for Sri Lanka, Belal had told me about a famous restaurant in Colombo called Ministry of Crab. I had a look at their website and had made a note to

22

Curry Life team and Hilton chef Kazi Hassan with British High Commissioner

myself I must go there. To my joy Pasha told me the table was booked for Thursday lunch-time can’t wait!

The week was hectic and there was a lot to get done, Colombo is a city that is definitely on the up.

Literally everywhere you look there are cranes and buildings and hotels popping up. On the second day I decide to take a bit of a walk around the city.

I managed to walk around the block and spoke to about 15 people, heard all about their families and told them all about me, why I’m here what I will be doing etc. I even got two invites to someone’s house for a cup of tea. To say Sri Lankans are friendly is a huge understatement. On walking back into the entrance of the hotel, I realise that a 5 x 4 billboard with my face on it on the side of the hotel is not going to help me going for a quiet stroll.

I cannot write anything interesting or funny about the cooking or kitchens at the hotel because everything ran like a military operation. It was huge fun to be part of, but didn’t leave me with any

NEWS

Mrs Nishad, British High Commissioner, Syed Nishad, Rupert Rowley and Abdul Ahad

funny stories, just admiration for the team.

Thursday soon arrived and to say I was looking forward to Ministry of Crab was an understatement. Crab has to be my favorite food in the world. I still remember vividly eating it freshly caught in San Francisco with my wife 12 years ago. The menu offers different sizes of crabs ranging from ½ kilo to Crabzilla at a whopping 2kg. Shamsul and I decide to share a 1 kg crab.

After we have had pictures with various sized crabs with the chefs we settle down to oysters, not my favorite food as I have always struggled with them but I think I have never eaten Sri Lankan oysters so, let’s give it a go. They are paired with an Asian sauce and chilli vinegar. These are delicious and now I really can’t wait for the main course.

The waiter then says that they would like to offer us a bottle of wine on the house and as I am the only one in the party who drinks, I rise to the challenge as it is very rude not to accept a gift, especially when it’s free booze.

We all get dressed in our bibs and are given various surgical implements to dismember our lunch. The crab was outstanding and is something that I will never forget even though I managed to polish off a very nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with it (this led to some difficulties cooking later that day).

Overall, Sri Lanka is a great country and I am definitely going to have to visit there again and not spend so much time in the kitchen. I have never worked in a big five-star hotel as it has never really interested me but seeing chef Kazi and his team operate made me really think I would like to be part of that.

Festival chefs with Bangladesh High Commissioner to Sri Lanka (3rd from left), Syed Belal Ahmed and Shamsul Islma at far right.

23

NEWS

ThE POWER Of

sOCiaL mEdia When asked why Dinesh decided to employ a company to take over their social media he stated: 'They (Really Social) are proactive, they sat down and worked it out with us to adopt a strategy. It’s not just uploading pictures, there’s a real strategy behind it so it flows nicely when you see our content online. They’ve taught us about the paid advertising with targeting and demographics – we knew it was there, but not exactly what to do with it.'

With creative imagery, clever content, and great targeting, it’s not hard to spark the imagination of customers and encourage them to book a table in your restaurant – but remember once they’re in it’s over to you to impress them to keep them coming back!

We’ve put together a special marketing package for our valued Curry Life readers. To find out how social media can help promote your restaurant, call 01733 806 404 and ask to speak to Aman or James (our Curry Life experts!).

Social media has had a huge impact on the restaurant sector over the last few years and we’re seeing more potential than ever in the Curry sector. We caught up with Dinesh from the Banyan Tree based in Westgate, Peterborough. Serving up predominantly North Indian Cuisine in a beautiful grand building that boasts a modern interior - their chefs certainly know how to serve up authentic flavours with stunning presentation.

The Banyan Tree has been promoting their restaurant on social media for nearly 2 years now with our exclusive social media partner, Really Social, and has seen the results go from strength to strength.

‘Customers are looking for something different so it’s important to show them you’re doing that online,’ said Dinesh. James from Really Social said, ‘The Banyan Tree has some incredible dishes on their menu and we’re really proud to be able to help show these to local people to encourage bookings’.

Tracking the results from any advertising you do is absolutely key and this is one of the main reasons Curry Life has partnered with Really Social, who are experts in this area. Every day The Banyan Tree track customers in the restaurant who have seen the advert on social media, providing proof that this advertising works.

ReallySocial.media Office | 01733 806 404 Mobile | 07909 811 077

www.reallysocial.media | @getreallysocial

Dinesh of Banyan Tree and James Krappe of Really Social 24

NEWS

NEW RESTAURANT OPENING

Time for Tiffin A new Indian restaurant in Cambridge has based itself around the Indian tradition of taking Tiffin. The practice originated in British India in the 18th century, when afternoon tea began to be replaced by a light meal. The word Tiffin derived from the English slang ‘tifling’ meaning eating or drinking out of usual mealtime. Nowadays in India, Tiffin may mean anything from a lunchtime meal to afternoon tea, or savoury snack collected from homes and restaurants and delivered to office workers by men known as ‘dhabbawalas.’

Back in Cambridge, The Tiffin Truck launched on 24th January at 22 Regent Street when guests were able to sample a selection of Indian drinks, cocktails and dishes from the new menu. Owners, Krishna Vijayakumar and Arun K Chandran, who are also behind the Michelin listed Navadhyana restaurant in Cambridge, hope to create a more casual style

of eating characterised by the Indian Tiffin tradition.

Customers will now be able to have hot, fresh, homestyle Indian meals delivered to their desk.

Alternatively, for a small deposit they may collect their takeaway in the traditional tiered steel tiffin boxes which have a handle for easy carrying.

In India’s commercial capital of Mumbai where the practice is most common, up to 160,000 workers have their home-cooked meals transported daily to their place of work. The complex delivery system involves around 5,000 dabbawalas who travel by bicycle to collect cooked meals, often precariously balancing numerous containers on their heads, on their journey to the station. There, the boxes are sorted by a colour and numerical code on to platforms, thence whisked to the respective workplaces enabling office workers to enjoy a warm lunchtime treat cooked by their spouse or mother. At the end of the day, the empty containers are returned by the same procedure in reverse fashion.

Dabbawalas (meaning one who carries a box) are famous for their integrity, embracing principles of hard work, passion, commitment, dedication, accuracy and time management and most importantly, customer satisfaction. They ensure that an incredible 99.999 per cent of meals are delivered safely and on time. Not surprising then that the efficiency of the system is envied by big business in the west with the main operators such as the Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers’ called up to lecture to the likes of delivery giants Fed-Ex and Harvard Business School. Even Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson is said to have sought advice.

At The Tiffin Truck, dishes are created by executive chef Kamaladasan, formerly of the Michelin-starred Tamarind restaurant in London. The selection of homestyle and market food includes lunchtime specials of Dosas and Thalis with dishes such as Dhabha Salad, Paneer Kathi rolls, Masala Dosa, Tulsi Sheekh, Truffle Naan, Madras Fish Curry. There’s also Pulau and Vegetable rice, three types of dal, with deserts including Mango Kulfi or Masala Chai Brulee.

Modern innovations include Naza – a type of Indian pizza, and Bun Tikki Burger. Prices range from £2.75 for a Bhel: cold and crunchy puffed rice, onion, Bombay mix and mint, to £8.50 for a Beef Chukka with garlic, coconut, onion and curry leaf with a competitively priced range of sides and “bites.”

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25

INTERVIEW

of Milton Keynes has a reputation to live up to DON

(English dictionary definition): 1) A Spanish title before a man’s given name.

2) A lord or gentlemen.

3) A head, fellow or tutor of a college.

4) The head of a Mafia family.

A restaurant called The Don at the Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, has a reputation to live up to.

Owner Aki Rahman has been doing just that converting an old ‘carpets and curtains’ style restaurant next to Milton Keynes railway station into an award winning eatery.

The Don, which was recently voted best Indian restaurant in Buckinghamshire, is the

university drop-out’s third restaurant in as many years and was refitted and open for business within eight weeks.

“I don’t like wasting time,” laughs the 31 yearold who acted as project manager and is as knowledgeable about tiling, floor glue and furnishings as Indian cuisine and fine dining.

His goal is to open a chain of eateries and slip into semi-retirement while the rest of us put our shoulder to the wheel for another 25 years.

The decision to leave university didn’t go down well with his parents who expected their son to follow an obedient and well-trodden path into accountancy or medicine.

“They still don’t like it,” laughs Aki whose career change was sparked by the realisation that he wanted to be a success on his own terms.

“There is always a ceiling when you work for someone else whereas I am free to call the shots and make my own luck.”

26

Successful restaurateur AKi rAHMAN 27

AKi rAHMAN Aki makes a habit of defying convention from the Don’s deliberately un-Indian name and paying over-the-odds to get the best chef to moving to a town with six times the number of competitors as his previous restaurant in neighbouring Hertfordshire.

His logic is there may be more competition but there is also more potential custom and, if you are good, more money.

You have to believe his assertion that The Don is a ‘destination’ restaurant because whatever charms the town has to offer are not on show outside its railway station.

England’s ‘new towns’ have a fondness for concrete, sheer sided office blocks and long wide-swept avenues and Milton Keynes is no exception.

Friends initially tried to dissuade him saying his new business venture was better off located in the town centre’s Box Park a brisk 20 minutes walk.

Aki added: “You have to trust your instincts. I knew this was the right place to create something special. I like a challenge and could see the rewards if I was prepared to put the work in.”

It’s no surprise that he often works 15 hours a day and his single minded dedication is paying off with The Don’s weekly income now five times that of its predecessor.

His attention to detail includes everything from choosing the décor and furnishings to finance, recruitment, in-house training, marketing and social media. It’s surprising he has time for anything else and admits an ‘understanding wife’ and tolerant friends are a big asset.

Front-of-house duties in the 90 seat restaurant are shared

28

between two teams of three waiters. One team serves tables running along the glass-fronted perimeter of the restaurant while the second serve the Z-shaped inner core of tables called the ‘snake.’ Each team has a dedicated drinks server.

“It’s all about numbers,” says the former accountancy student who personally trains staff to do everything from waiting tables and pouring drinks to making coffee and preparing sauces.

“It’s not cost effective to have a waiter who just waits and someone else who just makes chutneys and cleans the toilets. We offer genuine staff development so people feel they are progressing and learning new things. As a result, staff turnover is low and everyone feels they are contributing.”

Employees are rewarded with higher-than-average wages with salaries accounting for 40% of The Don’s expenditure compared to 25% in a traditional Indian restaurant.

Its multi-cultural workforce which includes Bengali, English, Spanish, Polish and Romanian employees are also taught the first thing served up is a smile.

Aki added: “I worked in sales for a couple of years selling everything from pet insurance to gold chains and one of the most valuable lessons I learnt was that smiling physically and psychologically change your state. People can feel that down a phone line. If someone is taking a telephone order I want to see them beaming.”

His dedication is unquestionable but he is also adamant that the restaurant is an asset and not something to get personally attached to.

“I don’t want to become married to one restaurant like a

INTERVIEW lot of the older generation. You have to delegate to grow and a lot of restauranteurs find it hard to trust their business to other people.”

He says finding sleeping investors isn’t a problem but seeks out active partners who buy a share in the business and are subsequently invested in its success.

He’s a persuasive man having convinced his former bank manager to invest in one of his new businesses and switch careers, while his partner in The Don is his uncle and head chef Dhalowar Husain.

“We run this place like a German car. I cover front of house and he runs the kitchen.

It’s a smooth, efficient and professional service and if we need to find another gear we find it.”

One factor that sets The Don apart from many of its counterparts in the curry industry is the importance it places on marketing and social media.

High flying Aki is always looking for opportunities to promote his restaurant but things really took off last year when he proposed delivering meals by drone.

A story in the local newspaper snowballed into national coverage with a surprised relative ringing from Scotland saying they had seen his cousin’s picture in the Daily Mail.

‘It was a crazy couple of days,’ laughs Aki whose wife bought him the drone as a birthday party.

His plans for airborne deliveries was subsequently grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) but not

YouTube attracting 30,000 likes.

Another hit was the ‘mannequin’ challenge where diners were asked to momentarily freeze while a video went from table-to-table capturing the scene. This attracted 23,000 likes.

Some restauranteurs would argue they want their food to do the talking and don’t need gimmicks to fill tables.

Aki disagrees.

“People live on social media nowadays and are always looking for fun things to share. It is a great way of getting your brand out there and interacting with people. A new lick of paint and some new curtains is nice but it isn’t going to bring more customers in if they don’t know who you are.

“You have to ask yourself as a business how you can stand out from the crowd and do things differently. If you don’t, you end up running an average business with average returns. We don’t want to be ordinary. We want to be extraordinary.”

So what is his advice to people considering careers as a restauranteur when he admits the hours are long, the work hard and challenges come thick and fast?

“If you want to be successful you have to be committed to giving it 100%. If you are half-hearted or have a ‘suck it and see attitude’ you are going to fail and most probably loss a lot of money in the process.

“You have to have a goal and you have to be serious

before the restaurant gained an enviable amount of free media coverage Aki is now planning to resubmit an application to the CAA which will avoid the drone flying over built-up areas and deliver starters from one side of an open field to another for people who want to pick of up their poppadums’ in style.

He employs a social media expert and monitors the effectiveness of various media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to see how many customers are being engaged.

This creative approach includes turning the restaurant into a haunted house on Halloween with staff dressing as the undead to startle unsuspecting customers. Their startled reaction was captured on film and posted on

about achieving it. I’m focused on being wealthy enough to retire within the next 5-10 years and I am prepared to make the sacrifices to achieve that.

“Many people aren’t prepared to put the hard work and that is the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t. The majority of people will always go for short-term gain over long-term goals which bring far greater rewards.”

The Don Indian Restaurant 502, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK9 1LR Tel: 01908 665899. www.thedonindian.co.uk

29

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NEWS

long distance delivery à la française

It’s a well-known fact that many people will go that extra mile to visit their favourite Indian restaurant, however a recent order for takeaways from a curry house in Hampshire was a slightly further than usual … 500 miles away to be exact … in France.

The takeaway from Akash restaurant in Southsea was ordered by 50 hungry expats in Bordeaux who were desperate to indulge in their much-loved spicy dishes. One hundred curry dishes, 75 portions of rice, 100 poppadoms, and lashings of mango chutney were loaded onto a specially chartered plane to be transported to an aircraft hangar at Saucats Airfield, south of Bordeaux.

There the lucky ex-pats were able to tuck into the re-heated meals including Bengal Naga Chicken, Vegetable Paneer Korai and of course, Chicken Tikka Masala.

The idea came from ex-pat and ex-pilot, James Emery who regularly dines at Akash and says you can’t get a good curry in France. “It’s just one of those things,” he told BBC news, “when you live in a foreign country you miss that ability to just pick

up a phone and have someone come and drop off a load of containers fully of spicy curries at your front door.

Faz Ahmed of Akash in Portsmouth admitted his delivery radius is usually more within three to four miles. However, it’s not the first time the Akash curries have gone across the channel. In 2014, the Akash provided a selection of meals for another customer to take across to France by ferry for his family’s Christmas Day lunch.

Faz explained that the more recent takeaway cost around £600 to £700 in total with customers paying £32 a head.

Chartering the plane from a Brest flying school cost £15,000 but sponsors helped with the cost allowing Faz to stick to his promise of free delivery for over £12.

Now the curry craving ex-pats are hoping Faz will move a bit nearer. “They’re begging me to open a restaurant in France, but I’ve got enough headaches in Portsmouth,” joked Faz. “But it all seems good to me!”

“Proper poppadoms and mango chutney, honestly it’s been great!” agreed one happy customer in Bordeaux.

india Club battles demolition and mice Strand Continental Hotel, the home of the celebrated India Club restaurant which is presently battling plans for demolition, was infested with mice who burrowed through the kitchen ceiling, a court was told.

The India Club was set up by the India League whose founder members included Jawaharlal Nehru and V.K. Krishna Menon. It was one of the meeting places for those who campaigned for Indian independence and later became a symbol of the understanding between India and the UK. Situated on the first and second floors of the Strand Continental in central London, the restaurant has a reputation for tasty, low cost food in atmospheric surroundings. Recent plans to demolish the building by Marston Property, who own the freehold, to make way for a hotel, have been met with a petition of over 20,000 signatures opposing the move.

Westminster magistrates’ court heard that the restaurant had already been visited by health officers in 2015 and 2016 who recommended changes, but these had not been put in place.

Prosecutor, Kirsty Panson, described how officers “observed holes in the ceiling of the kitchen and mouse droppings in the floor and wall junction.” Mice droppings and dirt were discovered in the kitchen, bar area, storage rooms and on kitchen shelves and surfaces.

Goldsand Hotels who have run the India Club bar, restaurant and hotel for 20 years have admitted health breaches but said that these were historic charges from two years ago. Since then the restaurant’s star rating had been improved. They also commented that the mice infestation was a problem that affected the whole area around Aldwych Station.

35

INTERVIEW

BEING A RESTAURATEUR

is a very demanding and public facing job K

han is quite a name to live up to but Syed Khan has been ruling the roost as one of London’s longest serving restauranteurs for more than 30 years. He talks to Curry Life about weddings and wayward judges.

In 1965, the Beatles played in front of 65,000 adoring fans, Harold MacMillan was PM and America was fighting in the Vietnam War. It was also the year that Syed Khan arrived in the UK in search of a better life.

It wasn’t love at first sight.

“I remember bursting into tears when the plane landed,” recalls the 65 year-old whose father ran one of only a handful of Indian restaurants in central London. The British love affair with curry was still in its infancy and staff routinely faced abuse, drunken customers and people trying to run off without paying.

Syed said: “Doing a runner was a British pastime in those days but it’s never a good idea on a bellyful of beer and curry. We’d also have young men the worse for wear coming in and demanding to be served the hottest curry.”

Khan senior was happy to oblige with eye-wateringly hot vindaloos.

Syed initially studied to become a mechanic helping out in the restaurant part-time but put a spanner in the works when he went on holiday to Bangladesh.

“I went with my uncle and when we arrived he said my father had told him not to bring me back until I was married.”

The 24 year-old promptly ran away and stayed with a cousin. However, he found it hard to avoid members of his extended family who kept offering potential suitors.

“Everyone in the district seemed to know my business and wherever I went someone would pop up who knew me.”

Syed married, stayed six months longer than intended and returned alone like so many Bangladeshis to pave the way for his new family to follow.

His mother and father promptly departed on holiday themselves leaving him in charge of the restaurant which he describes as an ‘enjoyable challenge.”

It was start of a 30 year career as a restauranteur in the City with a brief sojourn on the south coast in a premise that was reputedly haunted.

He has been involved in several restaurants during that time and currently owns The Shapur, a 100seater on the Strand. The Shapur, recently has been voted as the best Indian restaurant in Central London and the City at the Curry Life Awards 2017.

“I love the vibe of the City and in the 1970s and early 80s we had the law courts and legal chambers that still exist today along with Fleet Street which was home to the national newspapers.

“There were some real characters but they weren’t always well behaved,” adds the man who showed a young David Dimbleby the door along with an assortment of legal professionals who overstepped the mark.

Syed added: “A well-known judge came in one night having had one too many and started rowing with some barristers who called the Police. They turned up, saw who it was and said ‘Oh God, not him again.”

The Shapur’s location next to ‘theatre-land’ has attracted a host of well-known diners over the years including gravel voiced actor James Earl Jones and TV presenter Jonathan Ross.

Does Syed have any thoughts of retiring as one of the curry industry’s longest serving restaurateurs?

“Goodness gracious,” he says simultaneously raising his eyebrows and letting out a slow whistle.

“I have thought about retiring, but what the hell would I do with myself all day? I know being a restaurateur is a very demanding and public facing job. But, I love it. I love people and interacting with customers. I would miss that.

“Besides, my wife doesn’t want me cluttering up the house all day.”

Shapur Classic Indian Cuisine, 149 Strand, London WC2R 1JA. Tel: 020 7836 3730. www.shapurlondon.co.uk

36

INTERVIEW

Successful restaurateur SyEd KHAN 37

fINANCE

Business banking:

Tips on keeping the costs down

Unlike personal bank accounts, which are usually fee free if you’re in credit, business accounts can incur very high charges, some as high as £25 per transaction on top of monthly account fees. Here are four steps to keep costs as low as possible:

for businesses which open the account within 12 months of beginning trading and with an annual turnover not exceeding £2million Clydesdale Bank

Step 1 Use a personal account if you can

Interest rate 0%

HSBC

If you are a sole trader (not a limited company), then you may be able to use your normal bank account for your business, usually banks offer much cheaper banking for individuals. However, some banks don’t allow this, so check first Bear in mind that using a separate dedicated account will make book-keeping easier and are a big help if HMRC need to check your records. If you deal with large sums and lots of cash, then a business bank account is best.

Monthly fee: For the first 12 months no monthly fee Includes: Mobile app. Overdraft facility.

Online Banking. Direct debits.

Note: 12 months’ free business banking is only for businesses with an annual turnover not exceeding £2,000,000

Santander Interest rate 0.10%

Step 2 lowest charge business accounts

Monthly fee: based on monthly cash deposits, from £7.50 Includes: Mobile app.

Just like utility charges, phone contracts and insurance, bank charges need reviewing at regular intervals to make sure you have the best deal.

So, check out the latest deals on business banking, compare bank accounts for features such as: free business banking, interest on credit balances, overdraft facilities and free transactions. Even if you don’t swap it will give you negotiating power with your existing provider.

Overdraft facility.

Online Banking. Direct debits.

Simple to manage your monthly charges which are included a fixed fee from £7.50 to £40 / month – use Santander’s online calculator to see what you could save.

Business switcher accounts

Cashplus

Here are a few of the banking offers available just now, please note that these offers can change so check them out carefully before making any decisions.

Interest rate 0% Monthly fee: £69 anual fee Includes: Mobile app.

Overdraft facility.

Online Banking. Direct debits.

No credit check required, simple instant online application. Branch banking service through the Post Office. No inbound bank transfer or Direct Debit charges.

Note: Annual fee of £69 and monthy outbound charges will cost 99p after the first three transfers Whatever account you use, take a note of all the fees that apply to it and make sure you and your staff are aware of them Think of how you run the business to minimise charges: stick to online banking, cut down on the cash you pay into the account, pay and be paid by BACS where possible, avoid unauthorised overdrafts.

Always check the charges on your bank statement, this may also help you to spot problems.

Clydesdale Bank Interest rate 0% Monthly fee: For the first 25 months no monthly fee Includes: Mobile app. Overdraft facility.

Online Banking. Direct debits.

Note: 25 months’ free business banking is only for businesses which open the account within 12 months of beginning trading and with an annual turnover not exceeding £2million

yorkshire Bank Interest rate 0% Monthly fee: For the first 25 months no monthly fee Includes: Mobile app. Overdraft facility. Online Banking. Direct debits.

Note: 25 months’ free business banking is only

Step 4 Move cash into savings account If you’re in the happy position to build up cash in the

38

fINANCE business, don’t leave it in the normal account, transfer it over to a business savings account, this can be set up automatically.

As well as bank charges it is also important to seek out the top business credit cards and charge cards. Even if you don’t use the credit by paying back the full amount each month there are several hidden benefits to using a credit card.

Cash back cards pay you money every time you spend on them, normally the top cards are not for business use but Barclaycard Premium plus charge card does.

Reward points. One of the top cards for this is American Express, the points quickly add up and can be exchanged for many goods, flights, Amazon etc. Not all outlets accept this card but it’s worth using it where you can.

As mentioned earlier, bank charges like any other business cost need your constant attention, let’s hope this brief guide will inspire you. Next time we will look at utilities: gas, electricity and water.

Please get in touch if you have any tips, suggestions or a great experience on keeping costs down that you would like to share with us.

Government bans credit and debit card payment charges New rules governing credit and debit card payments came into force on 13th January 2018 which mean customers no longer face charged for choosing to pay by card, either online or in store.

Under the current rules companies can cover costs for processing a debit or credit card payment but cannot make a profit. However, the new rules mean that all UK companies selling to UK consumers are no longer able to charge customers for paying by cards including American Express, PayPal or Apple Pay. The new law follows an EU directive so companies across the EU are also banned from charging for credit/debit card payments. However, the rules have also been enshrined in UK law to enable them to continue after Brexit.

Whilst this is great news for customers, experts expect some companies will raise prices to cover the loss, which could indirectly hit all consumers.

Others may stop accepting card

DESIGN DES SIGN

payments altogether.

Before the new legislation, cardholders were often charged fees of around 2% but in some cases, were charged a flat fee regardless of how much they were spending, for example Ealing Council imposed a 2.5% credit card fee for Council tax payments and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) charged £2.50 on all transactions.

Stephen Barclay, Economic Secretary to the Treasury said: “Rip-off charges have no place in a modern Britain and that’s why card charging in Britain is about to come to an end.

“This is about fairness and transparency, and so from next year there will be no more nasty surprises for people at the check-out just for using a card.

“These small charges can really add up and this change will mean shoppers across the country have that bit of extra cash to spend on the things that matter to them.”

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fEATURE

muLtipLe DeatHs peanut allergies are a wake-up call for CURRY iNdUsTRY The tragic death of Megan Lee, a 15-year-old who died from acute asthma after she ate an Indian takeaway that triggered a nut allergy, follows a horrifying pattern of similar deaths that surely should set alarm bells ringing across the entire curry industry.

Megan Lee

After Megan’s death in January 2017, two Indian restaurateurs, Mohammed Abdul Kuddus (39) and Harun Rashid (38), of The Royal Spice in Oswaldtwistle, were charged with manslaughter. In addition, they face charges of failing to discharge general health and safety duty to a person other than an employee and of contravening or failing to comply with EU provision with regard to food safety and hygiene. RS Takeaways Ltd, the company who owned The Royal Spice have also been charged offences relating to health and safety and food hygiene.

Megan’s death is not unique. On average 10 fatal incidences of anaphylaxis to food allergens are reported in the UK each year, although the true incidence may be even higher.

Alarmingly, in several cases, death occurred after the allergy sufferer had eaten a curry pointing to a higher risk in the Asian sector where sauces are complex, with a greater danger of cross contamination.

Despite publicity and warnings to restaurant and takeaway owners issued by Food Standards with workshops and training provided by industry organisations including Curry

40

Life, recent studies have shown that many Indian restaurant staff still lack understanding of food allergies and their origins.

Peanuts, a common ingredient in Asian food, are an important cause of severe systemic and fatal food allergic reactions, particularly in young people. In some cases, the onset of anaphylaxis in peanut allergy sufferers has been attributed to the substitution of costly almonds with cheaper peanuts in mixes frequently used in recipes for dishes such as chicken korma or lamb passanda. The evidence points to the fact that in too many takeaways and restaurants, staff are simply not aware of the potential danger of peanut substitution.

In May 2016, Mohammed Zaman of the Indian Garden in Easingwold, Yorkshire was sentenced to six years for the manslaughter of a customer. Paul Wilson, 38, suffered severe anaphylactic shock after eating a takeaway from Indian Garden that contained peanuts, even though his order chit was found to have “no nuts” written on it. The court heard that Zaman cut corners by using cheaper ground nut mixes

fEATURE instead of almond powder. Zaman had previously been warned by food safety inspectors about the use of groundnut mixes when a teenage girl had suffered an allergic reaction to one of his curries just 27 days before.

The restaurateur was condemned for his “reckless and cavalier attitude to risk,” and for putting “profits before safety.”

In two similar incidents involving other Indian takeaways in 2014, Connor Donaldson, 12, of Tyldesley, Greater Manchester and Derek Stephenson, 32, of Stanhope, Co Durham also died from an allergic reaction to nuts.

In December 2010, teenager Emma Egerton died after eating one spoonful of curry that had been cooked in nut oil and

allergen information on the labels but specify that there may be risk of cross contamination even if the product does not contain nuts. Yet if the sauce or condiment is used in takeaway dishes, takeaway and restaurant operators may neglect to pass that information on to the customer or may simply be unaware the product could contain allergens.

Cross contamination is notoriously hard to control. The same knife used to cut a peanut butter and salad sandwich, or spoon used to decant different sauces may leave enough residue to cause a severe allergic reaction with potentially devastating consequences. Then there is also a risk of cross contact. With decanted mixes there is even more likelihood of contamination

Connor Donaldson, Derek Stephenson and Paul Wilson

Under the 2014 legislation staff must be able to communicate to customers what allergens are on the menu. Staff training should include: • What the allergens are in dishes and which ingredients they come from.

• Where allergen information is kept on the premises from suppliers.

• How customers are informed about allergens – i.e. on menus, on notices, leaflets etc.

• In addition, there should be at least one member of staff appointed as an allergy expert who can advise staff and customers when necessary.

Allergen laws for food operators Following concerns raised after Emma’s and other deaths, allergen laws were introduced in December 2014 requiring all operators to provide allergy information on food sold unpackaged. The laws require that all staff on the premises must be able to answer questions from customers on the presence of allergens. These include: eggs, milk, crustaceans (shellfish), molluscs, fish, peanuts, sesame, soya, sulphur dioxide, nuts, cereals containing gluten, celery, mustard and lupin.

contained ground almond, supplied by Spice of India in Greater Manchester. There was no mention of the nut content on the restaurant menu. At the time, her father, a Chief Inspector at Greater Manchester Police said her allergy made eating like “Russian Roulette.”

in storage but even a small amount of an allergen can be deadly for an allergy sufferer. The risk is so great that some restaurateurs have even taken nuts of their menus completely.

But with Asian food where nuts are an important ingredient, there is less room for manoeuvre.

Whilst all chefs, restaurant owners and food handlers should know what is in their dishes, even when they are careful about allergen management, there is a considerable risk involved and any contravention may have terrible consequences.

That is why, in view of the risk allergens pose, many operators have chosen to err on the side of caution, believing that a blanket disclaimer that all meals “may contain nuts” is infinitely preferable to one death caused by cross contamination.

Meanwhile the two men charged with Megan Lee’s manslaughter have been released on bail after a brief hearing at Blackburn Magistrate’s Court on 4th January 2018.

For further information about allergens and food safety, there are downloadable resources with free online training at: www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/allergy-guide/allergen-resources

Hidden allergens in indian meals Because of their complex nature, Asian dishes are more likely to contain ingredients that have been described as “hidden allergens”. The Food Standards website has important information about three typical Indian dishes: Korma, Prawn Samosa, Onion Bhajis and Raitas which in as well as containing allergens such as crustacea, also contain potential allergens including milk in ghee or yoghurt, blends of ingredients in oils such as nuts or soya, mustard and sesame in garam masala or wheat in the flour. Ground peanuts are sometimes used, not only as a cheaper substitute for ground almonds, but also as a thickening agent, or they may be present in chilli sauces.

Additionally, some product brands, for example Patak’s, declare

41

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Business is booming in MoSBoroUGH Curry Life visits The Vine Indian Cuisine in Mosborough in the south east of Sheffield and discovers it is exceedingly popular …

I

n view of challenges currently facing the curry industry, it was cheering, on a cold Saturday night in the doldrums of postChristmas austerity, to find The Vine Indian Cuisine on School Street very much alive, in fact positively bustling.

Owner Mukter Ali has reached this happy state-of-affairs within two years of opening his family business, having capitalised on his solid reputation as a consummate and creative chef in the area. Recently he won a Chef of the Year accolade at the Curry Life Awards for his exceptional cuisine.

On the night of our visit, the pressure was on! Mr Ali was away visiting his homeland of Bangladesh. Fortunately, with son Mohammed Iqbal at the helm, and the second chef enjoying the challenge of replicating The Vine’s famous dishes, operations were firmly under control.

“Our other chef has been working with dad for a very long time,” explains Mohammed. “So, his cooking standards are

42

very similar and there’s the same style and taste which maintains consistency for customers.”

The standards to live up to are very high indeed. Mukter Ali’s life as a chef spans more than 30 years. His first culinary ‘gig’ was in his grandad’s restaurant after he came to the UK from Bangladesh and what started as a casual stand-in for a day turned into a passion and a full-time career.

“My father initially learned everything from his grandad but then he started to experiment with different flavours and ingredients,” explains Mohammed who was born and brought up in Sheffield.

“Cooking is a continual learning curve for him. He’s always on the search for the next dish. When he goes to Bangladesh he’ll look for fresh ideas; it’s a trial and error process, there are so many things you can bring back, but he’ll experiment, and tweak the dishes a little to suit our customers.”

REVIEW Mohammed explains that one such dish is Mukter’s Kala Ghost which is currently under wraps. “It will be an exclusive to this restaurant – a lamb dish with a bit of spice that comes and goes on the taste buds, fairly dry but with a bit of sauce too, and it’s waiting to go on the menu when my dad gets back so hopefully should go down well with customers.”

After branching out into business ownership, which included running a 40-cover restaurant in Gleadless and a takeaway in Dronfield in Sheffield (where Mohammed worked), Mr Ali who is now in his mid-40s, decided on a bold change of direction. Although the Gleadless restaurant was very busy he wanted to focus on one thing and felt he needed a bigger place.

It turned out to be a shrewd move: The Vine, a former 18th century public house, now 100-cover restaurant, was situated in a prime position in the original village with the nearest Indian diner two or three miles away. As Mohammed explains, many of the customers are the “village people” (So far none have adopted the flamboyant costumes of the eponymous American band!), which meant there was a strong local customer base.

“It’s a nice community here,” explains Mohammed. “And that’s the best business anyone can get – you want to know your customers and they want to know you. It’s always important to remember names and make people feel welcome as soon as they come through the door. So, we keep customer service up to scratch and of course, everyone enjoys the food.”

With the help of a designer friend, The Vine underwent an extensive refurbishment and was transformed from dingy pub to a light and spacious space. From the outside the restaurant looks like a traditional stone cottage but inside the small rooms have been knocked through into five areas, separated by windowed walls retaining a homely and welcoming atmosphere.

The revamp also involved a change of outside paint, new wall lighting, and a feature wall, the low panelled ceiling has been painted white to emphasise the space, and glass candelabras add a glittering touch of glamour.

Mohammed says that the room at the far end of the restaurant used to be a beer cellar now used for big parties.

And there are further improvements in the pipeline. When his father returns they plan to extend the bar area to provide more seating for customers.

Weekends are always a busy time for the restaurant: on the night we were there the place was filling up well by 7.00pm with a steady queue for takeaways. Since, traditionally, the first few weeks of January are the quietest time for restaurants, this was quite an achievement.

The number of guests added to the buzzing atmosphere – staff were on the ball, quick moving and enthusiastic and obviously had a good rapport with customers. One member of staff told us the amount of pre-preparation ensures that service during busy times remains calm and organised.

Mohammed who is front-of-house, a role he took on when The Vine opened, has a hands-on approach, attentive to every customer, ensuring a seamless experience for customers.

The menu included modern and traditional recipes from

Mohammed Iqbal and his father chef Mukter Ali

India and Bangladesh enhanced by Mukter’s individual style.

Our starters were a very generous prawn puree; light, fluffy and coconutty, packed with prawns; vegetable samosas were crispy. Mukter Ali’s signature dishes of Handi chicken, a traditional Punjabi dish cooked with garlic, ginger and green peppers in a spicy sauce, and the Australian lamb sourced from a local butcher in the Bengal Bahar was succulent and tender.

Mohammed explains that when his father is at home he preps the food every day. “Nothing tastes better than a freshly made dish. He’s just got his way of doing things with the best flavours that just make his cooking stand out.”

Mohammed and his father are the main family members in the restaurant with other staff drawn from the community.

However, he recognises only too well the challenges that face the whole curry industry. “A lot of Indian restaurants are closing down and one of the causes is staffing because without staff you can’t operate a business. There’s a demand for chefs and a demand for waiters, but young people aren’t going into catering like they were 15 or 20 years ago. They’re studying at university and going into different jobs. It doesn’t help that restaurant owners can’t bring people from abroad to fill the gaps – the process is too hard.”

“But I strongly believe that if you have a strong team and a good game plan, you can move forward as a business.”

Vine Indian Cuisine, 9 School Street, Mosborough, Sheffield S20 5EB Tel: 0114 248 8750

43

TIPS

portion control for

profits Portion control is important in maintaining profits.

Using the optimal amounts of food in dishes may save your restaurant thousands of pounds each year.

Consider this: a portion containing an extra 10p worth of meat on 100 dishes served on a busy Saturday night could mean a loss of £520 per year.

Whatever the size of your restaurant, portion control maintains consistency for your customers and keeps your business profitable.

But portion control doesn’t simply mean rationing the amount a customer gets on the plate. The general rule is that each dish should cost 30 to 40 per cent of the selling price to maintain profitability so to assess accurately what price to charge, portions need to be consistent. Here are our top tips: • Know your customers – hungry workmen are likely to want bigger portions than an office worker heading out for a light lunch.

• Consider having two prices for bigger and smaller portions so customers can order to their personal preference.

• Using better quality meat means less wastage and time involved in preparation and trimming. However, less expensive stewing beef is still tasty and may be used for slow cooked dishes.

• Make certain your staff are aware of precise serving sizes – for example a starter like prawn puree may require X amount of prawns with X tablespoons of sauce or a main course may require half a cup of cooked vegetables.

• Indian sides are usually served in separate dishes – ensure you have the correct dish size by assessing the amount of waste that comes back to the kitchen.

• Research different prices for buying fish or meat ready filleted or boned as opposed to doing it yourself.

• Consider providing pictures and charts in the kitchen indicating the correct portion sizes for dishes.

• Have the correct equipment to dish out ingredients i.e. ladles, measuring spoons and scales.

• Try to order by number and weight for optimal portion control. For example, instead of ordering 2kg of steak, order 10 x 200g trimmed sirloin steak to guarantee less wastage and uniform size.

• Ensure that fresh goods are bought at the right time to get the best price to sustain quality and economic yield.

• Consider the most economical way to buy chicken – i.e. is it cost effective to buy whole or breasts only. A whole chicken carcass can be used for making stock for sauces.

• If breast is used ascertain whether it is cheaper to buy with skin and on the bone. Skin and bone can add flavour and skin can be discarded before serving.

• Bear in mind that if serving beef as part of a fixed price menu the portion will be less than that for beef served as a single main dish.

Remember effective portion control cuts costs, boosts profitability and reduces waste whilst still reaching customers’ expectations.

44

Chef Massimo Zampar

INTERVIEW

MASSIMO ZAMPAR The italian chef who travelled the world Massimo Zampar is the Italian chef at the iL POnte restaurant in Hilton Colombo. Over his 20-year career as a chef Massimo has worked in high-end Italian hotel restaurants in some of the most beautiful and exciting parts of the world. During the Curry Life taste of Britain Festival in Sri Lanka, Massimo took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to editor-in-chief, Syed nahas Pasha …

2006 to 2008 to cook in the Italian restaurant there.

Istanbul is a very cosmopolitan city with history and a lot of great restaurants and hotels and the food and beverage there is of a high standard. We also had celebrities visiting there too. I cooked for Felipe Massa, the Formula 1 driver.

He gave me a pass to go to the paddock on the Sunday which was nice. When you work in this type of hotel celebrities often come to dine but we were just professional and did the job. Sometimes they’re happy to have a chat and photo with you which is always cool.

Where were you born and how did you start out as a chef?

I was born in Italy in a small town near Trieste, about one hour from Venice. After graduating in culinary school in my home region in Grado, I started my career building experience in Italy before moving abroad. As you know, when you graduate from culinary school as a commis chef, you’re not a master chef. You have the basics but then you start to get experience in different hotels and restaurants.

So, starting out in my career, I worked in hotels in Italy: mainly for the seasonal market including a four-star hotel in Aliano, in Punta Ala, Tuscany, the skiing resort of Trentino, and on the island of Elba.

Why did you decide to go to the Far East?

As an Italian European, Asia has always held an attraction because of the different culture and of course the food is amazing: spicy with different ingredients - it is a new concept of cuisine for western chefs.

What was your first experience out of Italy?

My first experience abroad was in London in 2002 as a chef de partie in the five-star Carlton Tower on Sloane Street which was part of the Dubai-based Jumeirah group.

I worked in the Italian restaurant there called Rossini for one year – it was a good experience, there was a mix of British and Italian chefs, reflecting the character of London which, as you know, is a very multicultural city.

After that I moved to Spain in 2004 where I spent a year in an Italian restaurant, Il Gusto. The owner, who was Spanish, owned nine restaurants but only one Italian. The chefs there were mainly Italian with a few Spanish guys as well.

Several football players from Real Madrid such as Zidane and Roberto Carlos, used to come to dine there because it was a pretty good restaurant.

I lived in Spain for one year. After that I moved back to Italy where I also worked in Venice in a 5-star boutique hotel, the Bauer Hotel in St Mark’s Square. While I was there, Prince Charles and Camilla visited and stayed for two nights. He brought his own butler and we cooked risotto and vegetarian foods for him. However, he supplied his own bread and cheese – he’s very particular about his diet.

Having gained my first experience as an Italian chef, I decided to transfer to Istanbul to the Hyatt Regency from

What have you learned from your experience cooking in the east and west?

I can tell you one thing: all these programmes on TV, such as Masterchef, will not help you build your career because as a chef if you move to other hotels, you’ll always find a different group of people and a different culture. You need to adapt to the local life, working with many people of different religions and beliefs and always respect each other. But change is good – in every hotel there is a different system: some focus more on the customers, some on the food and you learn more from a varied experience.

Where did you go next in your career after being in Istanbul?

I travelled to Manilla to a five-star hotel, Shangri-La, working in an Italian restaurant but also doing some consulting for other restaurants for almost two years. After than I moved to Malaysia to Langkawi island, a tourist resort (also a tax-free), where I took a post in the Four Seasons group of hotels. It was a beautiful place with good hotels and restaurants patronised by many high-profile customers, mostly British but also from America and continental Europe.

47

INTERVIEW What changes have you seen over 20 years of being a chef in top hotels?

It’s not only cooking that has changed in my lifetime; the whole trend has changed. Being a chef is not like 20 years ago – now you are the owner of your own restaurant, you need to be versatile. Sometimes, in a busy hospitality operation the

banqueting so that is a massive operation. We have around 150 chefs who work together as a strong team. We also do a lot of good promotions, for example, Oktoberfest has been running for 15 years now, when we serve around 1,000 people every day. We have a German band who come over from Germany for the event – it’s become an important date on the calendar; everyone looks forward to Oktoberfest.

Food is always changing all over the world, there are always new trends, new chefs coming on the scene. How do you keep up with the changes that are taking place?

Syed Nahas Pasha and chef Massimo

restaurant makes more revenue than rooms, so the chef plays an extremely important role. Today it is all about having good food and good PR, you must be skilled in costing and finance because at the end of the day you have a budget, you must achieve a target. For me, the job of chef is a complete job and very fulfilling because you don’t just do one thing; you do many things and you’re connected with all departments.

Also, nowadays, partly because of programmes like Masterchef, the chef has gained more respect from guests. This has always been more the case in Asia but now, in all top restaurants, the customer may ask for the chef to come to the table to take the order, so the chef is no longer just hiding away in the kitchen. There’s a greater pride in the role; people respect you for what you are doing.

What is your advice for running a successful kitchen operation?

It’s not difficult because every country has its own demands. In Sri Lanka people are not prepared yet for fine dining, they appreciate the simple, classic Italian food. In Manila it’s more cosmopolitan with around 15million people and a lot of international business taking place so there’s more of a fine dining trend there. Every country has its own market. In Malaysia people can go out and have good food that’s good value for money. Casual dining is something that has become more of a trend – even when Gordon Ramsay opened in Singapore he also offers burgers etc along with the gourmet food.

With modern technology the world is more connected compared to 10 to 15 years ago. People are travelling more, and the younger generation is more interested in food and exploring different cultures. For me, the important thing is always to find local products. With so much globalisation we need to support local food market and local farmers.

Fortunately, the trend is towards finding the best quality product. In Italy we were one of the first countries to have recognised products with certification, and we always support our market in food and wine.

The Taste of Britain Festival involves an exchange of chefs and sharing ideas, how do you feel it has benefited your team?

It’s been very good. My team always likes to see other things, learn other dishes and cooking styles. In Sri Lanka we have many good chefs but the Taste of Britain and opportunity to work with a Michelin star chef, Rupert Rowley, has been a very nice promotion for us.

What food do you like to eat, aside from Italian?

Chefs need to work like a football team. You will win when you all play together, because then you will score a goal, but if you all play as an individual you will not go anywhere. Sometimes if you have a big operation you may have up to 1000 people working together. You must be a strong leader, but it’s always important to always make good relations with your colleagues because it will help you work together more effectively.

I personally like Indian food because I am in Malaysia and there are spicy dishes available locally. I like the Asian touch and I sometimes experiment with Indian dishes to cook for my friends when I visit home. In Italy we also have spicy dishes, especially in the south in Calabria but they don’t use all the spices, just a touch of chilli. I also enjoy Thai and Japanese food.

So how did you come to Sri Lanka?

I am very happy in my role here. Sri Lanka is the seventh country I have lived in. I can say I am very comfortable because it is organised country because the infrastructure is good, and it’s organised for family life. The mix of food and culture is very cosmopolitan. Also, it’s not so expensive here – it’s a country for different people whereas somewhere like Singapore is only for rich people.

As for the future, I would ideally like to stay in south east Asia because I think when you come here you fall in love. Maybe I would like to move to Vietnam – the economy is doing well with a lot of new restaurants opening. We had a Vietnamese promotion here and I liked the concept of good food made with simple products, not so spicy. It’s always good to have different people coming to discover new cuisines.

While I was in Malaysia I was involved in the opening for a new hotel for DoubleTree by Hilton because they wanted an Italian restaurant also called Tosca which has become the benchmark for Italian cuisine. Following this they opened a further two Italians in Penang and Malacca on the same model. They are beautiful restaurants with a show kitchen and terrace. We did well there so when this opportunity came up to move to Sri Lanka - DoubleTree is part of Hilton and they were looking for an Italian chef - I was well placed. In 2015 I had the opportunity to move to Hilton. I wanted a challenge and I’ve been here almost three years now. In terms of food and beverage it’s a busy operation: we have six restaurants including the Italian, the Curry Leaf where they serve Sri Lankan spicy food, Japanese etc. Around 80 per cent of revenue comes from

What’s next on the agenda for you?

48

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