BREAKING BREAD

The food of Thailand was rarely eaten in the UK before the turn of the century, but ever since then the nation has enthusiastically embraced the flavours and cultures of Thai cuisine. One of the first Thai restaurants to open in Leeds is still sharing the traditions and tastes of their homeland over twenty years later. We broke bread with long-standing legend Pat to tell the story of Sukhothai.

@sukhothai_

Sukhothai was founded in 2002 by Ban Kaewkraikhot, who was born and raised in the Sukhothai province of Thailand. The first Sukhothai restaurant was opened in Chapel Allerton in the same year. Ban, who moved to the UK in the late 1990s, saw an opportunity to share her love of Thai cuisine with the people of Leeds, when at the time there were very few Thai restaurants in the UK. The city took to these new flavours they were being introduced to and Sukhothai quickly gained popularity for its authentic Thai dishes and warm, welcoming atmosphere.

The inspiration for Sukhothai’s food came from Ban’s upbringing, when she learned to cook traditional Thai food from her mother. Her commitment to using these traditional Thai cooking techniques created flavours that she had perfected which were unfamiliar to the British palate, and the restaurant gained a loyal community of customers and an inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

Pat, who had moved from Bangkok to the UK in the 1980s, was approached by Ban to join Sukhothai in 2007. “She’s full of energy” Pat describes Ban. “Her mind is going all the time!” Sixteen years later, Pat remains at the original restaurant as a well-known and much-loved part of the Sukhothai family and Chapel Allerton community. “Lots of staff have been here for a long time” she tells us. “One of the chefs at Chapel Allerton has been there 13 years. The team are very close and a big family.”

During this time, Sukhothai has undergone significant changes. There are now 3 Sukhothai’s, with the addition of Harrogate and Leeds City Centre to the Chapel Allerton original. More recently, the group has evolved and in 2015 launched sister brand ZAAP Thai. ZAAP replicates the vibrant fun of Bangkok street food, an experience so popular that it now has 6 locations and more on the horizon.

“We love food” Pat enthuses about the culture back in Thailand. “People cook with lots of fresh ingredients, herbs and spices. And many open 24 hours.” As much as the UK has embraced the authentic Thai way of eating, some traditions have not yet crossed countries. “In Thailand there are no starters, they eat everything together” Pat explains. “And women have Som Tum (a Thai salad) with every meal.”

There, food is seen as a way to bring people together; family-style dining is popular, and people are encouraged to interact and bond over a shared dinner. Many of Thailand's holidays and festivities are also centred around food - the Thai New Year celebration or ‘Songkran’ is celebrated with water fights and the sharing of traditional Thai sweets and desserts. Sukhothai hope to encourage this feeling of togetherness in their restaurants for both their family of employees and community of customers.

“It’s not just a job” Pat confirms. Indeed, the Chapel Allerton Sukhothai in particular has become integrated into the neighbourhood. During Covid-19, they donated over 3000 meals to NHS hospitals, care homes and other causes, and in turn the local people supported Sukhothai during those times. “Everyone is more than kind and looks after me well” says Pat. “The way I can repay them is with my work”.

Although she has worked elsewhere over the years, including at the Harrogate restaurant and managing Zaap in Leeds, Pat always returns to Chapel Allerton as the place she calls home and the people she calls friends. “I feel comfortable here” she says. “I feel love”.