Anwar Hussain, owner of Westbourne Tandoori in Bournemouth tells Currylife why the business is going from strength to strength.
Westbourne Tandoori needs little introduction.
Opened in the 1990s and located in the upmarket coastal village of Westbourne in Bournemouth, it has a glowing reputation among diners and the local community.
The restaurant recently helped a local care home – Poole-based Lilliput House Residential Care Home, celebrate its Indian International Day.
Westbourne Tandoori owner Anwar Hussain offered a traditional complementary two-course meal for all the residents and carers to enjoy as part of the day’s proceedings.
The restaurant’s chefs prepared more than 50 meals for residents, featuring starters such as samosas and onion bhajis and main courses of chicken korma, chicken butter and chicken tikka, alongside rice and vegetables.
Westbourne Tandoori reaches out to the community
For Hussain, having a business mind and a compassionate outlook go hand-in-hand.
Throughout the Covid pandemic, he applied this mindset to help overcome the restrictions his customers and the front-line services faced.
Westbourne Tandoori offered free meals, free contactless delivery, discounts to Blue Light [those who work in the NHS, emergency services, social care sector and armed forces] card holders, alongside many offers on social media.
While the restaurant has been operating for more than two decades, Hussain started working there as a waiter in 2015. Born in Bangladesh, Hussain moved to Bournemouth from Manchester in 2011.
“I owned a takeaway business in Westbourne but decided to work at Westbourne Tandoori because I knew how popular it was and that it was one of the most famous [curry houses] in the south, with much goodwill behind the brand,” he says.
Over the following months his business acumen and entrepreneurship shone through, leading to more and more responsibility within all areas of the organisation. Just a year later, in 2016 he bought into the business and is now a proud partner.
Making his mark
In the years since, Hussain has wasted little time in putting his own stamp on the restaurant, and the business has gone through a dramatic transformation.
Hussain introduced a number of new menus, for both in-house dining and takeaway, alongside a party menu, an elaborate wine list and a dedicated cocktail menu.
He has also invested heavily in the restaurant’s interior design, installing booths, a marble illuminated bar and party table, a selfie wall and renovated the toilets, as well as building a new outside area for the summer with sliding windows.
Customer experience improved
The bar has helped make the restaurant more of a destination, meaning that customers are keen to stay for longer and enjoy not just dining but an experience too.
Cocktails, Champagne, beers by the bottle and on draft and an extensive wine list are on offer and customers are regularly invited to visit for cocktails and drinks.
There is also a ‘light bites menu’ and the restaurant offers poppadoms and chutneys to those just joining after work for drinks or before they head out for the evening.
On the menu, some of its most popular dishes include spiced honey-fried paneer, with the cheese coated with honey then dry cooked with fenugreek garam masala and Kashmiri chilli flakes and Malai dar deshi murgh – marinated supreme chicken coated with mozzarella cheese and garlic, grilled in the tandoor.
Laal patenga – chicken, lamb or prawn cooked with fresh crushed garlic and mango sauce, balanced with crushed chillies, gives diners a taste of a mouthwatering dish from Goa.
Added attraction
While all of these measures have helped to make the business resilient, like many others within the hospitality sector, Westbourne Tandoori’s key challenges are mostly out of its control – namely the increased cost of living.
“The critical challenges facing us are the growing costs of ingredients and utilities, as well as the knock-on effect on the spending power of our loyal customers,” says Hussain.
“We have never had any problems with staff, my team is constant, loyal and reliable and the head chef is my partner – so in this respect the team is no problem at all – we are one big family and the service we offer as a team is second to none.”
Economic challenges
Hussain’s response to the current tough times is to look at the wider picture and assess what he can do to help both the business and its customers.
As a result, Westbourne Tandoori is offering free kids’ meals in-house as well as providing live entertainment monthly, at no extra cost to its customers.
“We have a live DJ once a week, again at no charge to our customers and we offer free delivery within a four-mile/seven kilometre radius of the restaurant,” says Hussain.
“We have weekly deals and offers, for example every Wednesday we have a £19 three-course meal in house – saving our customers a huge amount per person. We also offer 2-4-1 cocktails all weekend. There literally is no better place to save money without compromising on the quality of the offer.”
While Hussain acknowledges that the current economic situation is tough, he believes that lockdown was far more challenging, as it was unknown territory for everyone .
“This current cost of living crisis is a cycle and the restaurant has survived far worse,” he says. “A VAT cut is always on the table for hospitality – the government could extend initiatives to assist our business.
Brexit
Brexit of course has impacted the costs of goods imported, but we just need to buy keener, local and keep our team happy in their jobs.
We also have adjusted stock and don’t sit on as much as we do in better times. Also, customers are happy with our offers, and they know that we will always make sure that they can afford to enjoy a Westbourne Tandoori meal.”
Keep on moving
Standing still is not in Hussain’s nature – he spends considerable time thinking about different ways to innovate the business, such as the investment in décor, new assets, refreshed menus – which also cater to dedicated dietary requirements, attractive offers and party facilities.
“We also partner with relevant charities and community organisations,” adds Hussain. “This year we will continue to improve our value for money, maintain service and quality.
And in the next 24-months – we may have another [business] interest in the Bournemouth area – watch this space!”
Talking tech
Technology plays an important part too, with ordering processes all computerised from device to kitchen and an app for table bookings and takeaway orders.
“We also really favour social media as a tool for marketing – we have a strong and loyal following on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok,” says Hussain.
“As my restaurant is so up to speed in terms of food presentation and décor we are also very ‘Instagrammable’ and ‘shareable’.”
Sustainability is another area the restaurant is increasingly focusing on. As Hussain acknowledges, by its nature, the curry house industry is packaging heavy, and Westbourne Tandoori endeavours to use recyclable materials when possible. It is also monitoring its waste from the kitchen and from customers.
“We have got our serving proportions down to a fine art – we try to waste as little as possible,” he says. “Everything that can be recycled from the restaurant is dealt with in the most responsible way.”
Taking stock
Looking over his achievements thus far, Hussain says he is immensely proud to have been a winner two years in a row at the Curry Life Awards, saying to be recognised by the industry and local customers is priceless.
Being able to support his local community during lockdown. and charity work that stretches to local fundraisers, the elderly and various children’s charities, is also a big source of pride.
“Westbourne Tandoori is very fortunate in terms of its business model; it’s one that can react quickly to market influences – such as this current crisis, and we also use the seasons, the sporting calendar and local charities to maintain a healthy support system in the community,” says Hussain.
“We continue to give generous discounts to Blue Light card holders but above all we prepare, cook and serve beautiful Indian cuisine and that’s what keeps our wonderful customers coming back.”
