
Chicken tikka masala is nation’s favourite curry
Chicken tikka masala reigns supreme when it comes to the UK’s most popular curry, according to a survey from yoghurt manufacturer Onken.
In a recent poll of 2,000 adults, 43% of those surveyed picked the dish as their favourite, with korma and butter chicken rated second and third. Other findings from the research found 89 per cent of adults eat curry, treating themselves to such dishes around five times a month on average. The top ten did not feature curries at the very spicy end of the scale, suggesting that those surveyed prefer curries with a milder taste. The two other curries in the top five were biryani and rogan josh, while jalfrezi, balti, madras, bhuna and saag were also included in the top 10 list.
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South West is food hygiene hotspot
The South West is the top-scoring region in the UK when it comes to food hygiene, followed by Northern Ireland and the East Midlands.

This is according to online training provider High Speed Training, which investigated the state of the UK’s food hygiene scene by analysing Food Standards Agency (FSA) data for over 215,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The FSA food hygiene ranking scheme helps consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving clear information about businesses’ hygiene standards.
The scheme gives businesses a rating from 5 to 0, where 5 means hygiene standards are very good; 4 indicates hygiene standards are good; 3 shows hygiene standards are generally satisfactory, 2 indicates some improvement is necessary; 1 means major improvement is necessary and 0 requires urgent improvement
High Speed Training found that across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the average food hygiene rating across surveyed businesses was 4.54, with the top-scoring region being the South West, with an average rating of 4.66 from over 21,000 premises, with Northern Ireland scoring 4.64 and the East Midlands 4.62.
London had the lowest average rating in the study, with a score of 4.36, though the area had by far the most establishments, with almost 36,000 premises contributing to the rating.
North West seaside town Southport topped the individual rankings, achieving 4.91 out of 5, closely followed by Bangor, Ipswich and Lincoln, (all 4.89) and Stockton-On-Tees (4.86).
The bottom three included Walsall (4.13), Birmingham (4.08) and Wigan (3.92), with the latter’s rating dropping by a UK wide high of 0.29.
However, if London boroughs were counted as separate towns, they would claim three of the four bottom spots in the country – Barking & Dagenham: 3.95, Ealing: 3.92, Waltham Forest: 3.74.
The analysis also found that one in five takeaways (20%) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland scored a 3 or below for their food hygiene rating. In big cities, this number rose significantly. In Birmingham (38%), Manchester (33%), and Liverpool (31%), the numbers were noticeably higher. All in all, 480 premises scored a 0, and 3,426 scored just a 1 for their rating.
Dr Richard Anderson, head of learning and development at High Speed Training said: “Food safety and robust hygiene practices should be of paramount importance to food businesses. Recently, we have seen many high profile cases of food poisoning and illnesses caused by food-borne bacteria. This is why food hygiene ratings are so important – they are a direct reflection of how safely and hygienically that establishment operates and are of critical importance to consumers.”
A similar report run in 2023 by High Speed Training calculated the score at 4.53, showing that food hygiene standards have slightly improved in recent years, with 87% of businesses scoring a 4 or 5, with 70% scooping top marks. This year London also increased its rating from 2023, by 0.02.
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Curry houses’ future uncertain amid rising costs
Curry houses’ future uncertain amid rising costs

Industry leaders from the curry sector have called on the government for support on a range of issues, including the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis on hospitality businesses, planned rises in the costs of energy and a need to act on the price of ingredients.
The Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA) said it is calling for widespread reductions which can be passed onto customers in a drive to encourage diners back into restaurants.
The organisation said: “We are facing a battle on multiple fronts, from rising costs to punitive immigration laws. On behalf of our members, we will ensure the voices of restaurants up and down the country are heard by those in a position of power and we call on Labour to do the right thing and support us in any way they can.
“We have faced a challenge like never before and we now need to see support to help us not just survive, but thrive. We are seeing restaurants around the country closing week in, week out. We can’t afford to lose the Great British curry. We need to see action now.”
Budget woes
Prior to this year’s Budget, which took place on 30th October, Oli Khan, BCA president, had also called on the government to reverse its decision to axe small business rate relief for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, or risk the closure of curry houses.
The relief, which provides eligible occupied, retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a 75 per cent relief, up to a cash cap limit of £110,000 per business, was due to end next March.
In this year’s Budget however, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the small business rate relief for retail, hospitality and leisure properties would not be axed; instead, it will be replaced by a 40% relief in 2025-26, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. From 2026-27 permanently lower tax rates will be introduced for retail, hospitality & leisure properties.
In response to this change, Kate Nicholls, chief executive of hospitality industry association UKHospitality said: “Avoiding the business rates cliff-edge next April was critical and it was important that some relief has been extended. However, the reduced level of 40% is another cost that businesses have to deal with. For those small- and medium-sized operators, their rates bills will still go up in April.”
The association also described the Budget as the ‘latest blow’ for hospitality businesses, saying it would result in an increased annual tax bill of £3 billion in 2025. It predicted that 2025 will be a painful year for hospitality.
The Budget at a glance and what it means for hospitality
National Insurance hikes From April, the rate employers pay in National Insurance will rise from 13.8% to 15%, and the threshold at which they start paying the tax on each employee’s salary will be reduced from £9,100 per year to £5,000. The Office for Budget Responsibility, the UK’s official economic forecaster, said it assumed “most” of the increased National Insurance cost would be passed on to workers and consumers from employers through lower wages and higher prices.
New analysis by UKHospitality revealed that the employment tax measures in the Budget will increase the cost of employing a full-time staff member by at least £2,500. (This new breakdown of costs is based on a typical staff member, aged 21 or older, earning the National Living Wage and working 38 hours per week).
Business rates relief reduced: The relief will drop to 40% from 75% for 2025-26 from the 1st of April 2025, up to an £110,000 cap. Many businesses could still see their business rates more than double.
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JOSEPH & His Amazing Technicolour Menu

You could never accuse top chef Peter Joseph of being bland.

Having spent some 13 years performing wonders in the kitchen of Britain’s first-ever Michelin-rated Indian restaurant, Tamarind, Peter decided to branch out on his own six years ago – to see if he could achieve anything equally mindblowing off his own bat.
The result is Kahani – an upscale eatery near London’s trendy Sloane Square and Belgravia.

Kahani is a bit like Dr Who’s Tardis. Behind an unremarkable front door, set in a row of terraced houses, you walk past a large elegant private dining room – and into an expansive restaurant space which houses a capacity of 80 covers most days.
Despite opening the restaurant at probably the worst time ever, shortly before Covid struck, the health crisis may have proved a blessing in disguise-as Peter explains.
“It was certainly a tough time for the whole industry,” he recalls, “but in a way it gave us the space to get all of the details right.

“It gave us time to develop our food and service to the highest quality possible.”
One tangible result of having this thinking-time was the recent launch of an ambitious new menu-which bears all of the hallmarks of Peter’s many years at the top of his profession.
Experimenting with various blends of home made spices, colours and portions, the new menu is going down a storm amongst some of the most discerning palates in this poshest of poshest parts of the capital.
Amongst a long list of celebrities seen at Kahani are top international cricketers and stars relaxing after appearing at the internationally famous Cadogan Hall just around the corner.
To sample a representative taster of the colourful fare on offer, look no further than Peter’s imaginative take on Grilled Scallops.

No common or seaside shellfish these-accompanied as they are by Andhra spices, supplemented with Alleppey Coconut and a rich Tumeric Sauce.
Other trademark dishes on offer on our visit to Kahani included a Kiwi Pani Puri followed by Tandoori Peshawari lamb chops and a prune and ginger toffee pudding with pumpkin cranberry ice cream.
And as if to further counter the common criticism that you can’t get a decent dessert in an Indian restaurant, there’s even something called a Heritage Carrot Halwa Tiramisu – ‘a classic Italian dish with an Asian twist’, incorporating carrot cake, espresso bubble tea and dots of jelly.
For the more weight-conscious, there’s a salad of kumquats, plums, and Granny Smith apples – while both meat-eaters and veggies alike can enjoy various versions of the Hydrabadi Biryani – a blend of basmati rice and exotic spices, which comes in vegetarian, lamb and prawn formats.
All delicious dishes that look as good as they taste – with ambitious forms of presentation an important focus of Peter’s work.
“We pay a lot of attention to the way our food looks and is presented to our diners,” he says.
“Whether in the kitchen or front-of-house we know it’s vital to make a good first impression-whether that comes from the way the food is served or from its colours and aromas.”
Judging by the reaction of diners during our visit – and the fact that it’s not easy to get a table, either at lunchtime or in the evening – the quality and colour that comes with Peter Joseph’s peerless culinary expertise certainly seems to be paying dividends.
Joseph – and his Amazing Technicolour Menu – is going down a storm in London’s trendy Belgravia!

Kahani
1 Wilbraham Place, Belgravia, London SW1X 9AE. Tel: 020 7730 7634
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International Success
International restaurants in Bradford city centre and on Stickler Lane have built a solid reputation in the face of increased competition

International in Morley Street, Bradford is a name familiar to many in the city and beyond. Opened in 1976, the restaurant is just shy of its 50th anniversary. Over the years, it has maintained an excellent reputation in a city that’s home to many – and some of the best curry houses in the UK.

In fact, International has achieved something of a cult status in the city, attributed to its reliably good and delicious food, combining old school curries with some more modern dishes. In 2022, a second International opened on Stickler Lane and in the short time since it started trading, it too has built a loyal following. Both restaurants are now managed by Safeer Khan, who took over the original business from his father in 2018. His father ran the original International restaurant alongside another family member.

“Back in 1976, my father decided to go into the restaurant trade – my family has always enjoyed cooking,” recalls Safeer. “We had a restaurant in Pakistan and at that time in the UK, there were not so many restaurants and they wanted to start a business so they could send some money back home. It also functioned as a place for family and friends to meet and enjoy some food. That was one of the reasons it all started – to see if it worked and to make some money to send back home,” explains Safeer.
Safeer’s father was the chef, cooking dishes based on his recipes, while the other family member ran front of house. International was typical of other Indian restaurants of that time – catering to diners at all hours. It even had a pool table and slot machines, while its city centre location next to nightclubs and bars made it a popular choice for late night eating and drinking – even as late as three or four in the morning, when the restaurant would get what Safeer refers to as the ‘taxi driver rush’.
“At that time, there weren’t many restaurants that used to cook authentic food; people used to talk about us, helping our reputation to grow,” says Safeer.
Modern times
International underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2000, when the restaurant was closed for around 18 months, with plans to make it more modern, updating the infrastructure. When Safeer’s father retired in 2018, after a good 40 years in the industry, there was a second refurbishment, with changes to both the restaurant’s space and the cuisine. It was at this point that Safeer became involved in the business.
“It was high time for another refurbishment; I used to help my father in the restaurant so when the time came, I took over,” recalls Safeer. “This renovation took about seven months, the idea was to make International more of a brand, matching the food with the service, the decoration and the ambience. We were known for authentic, inexpensive cuisine but over the years we’ve realised it’s not just about the food. We didn’t want to compromise on the food, the quality, the portion size, the service or the decor.”
The Covid pandemic happened shortly after this second renovation, which prompted International to introduce a delivery service for the first time in its 40-year history, which it still maintains today.
Food for thought
One of International’s most renowned dishes is its chicken tikka masala, originally created by Safeer’s father in the 1970s.

“At that time, there was no such dish – nobody knew what it was, but it was so famous that everyone wanted it,” says Safeer. “Over the years we’ve introduced different dishes, it’s about what people like and what’s popular but we’ve also focused on what we are good at. I’ve always been a firm believer in not being a jack of all trades, master of none. We decided to stick to our curries and add other dishes.
There are plenty of old school curries and classics to choose from, such as an extensive range of baltis, biryanis and karahis, alongside korma, rogan josh and dopiaza curries. Other dishes include special grills and Punjabi traditional Desi dishes, among others.

Opening the 300-seat Stickler Road restaurant on the outskirts of Bradford has given International some much-needed space to cater for its ever-growing customer numbers, particularly large groups and parties, given that it was not possible for it to extend the kitchen or dining space in its city centre location. Opened in 2022, International on Sticker Lane is on the former site of another restaurant, The 3 Singhs.
“We decided we’d outgrown the first International, our kitchen was not big enough and there was no room to extend it,” he says. “As the business was growing, we decided we needed a bigger space, particularly to host larger groups.”
International on Sticker Lane has ample car parking for guests and hosts functions on a regular basis.
“It’s a great place for diners when they want to host a special celebration,” says Safeer. “It’s completely exceeded our expectations since we opened.”
Star quality
International is now firmly on the culinary map in Bradford and has received a number of accolades, with the second branch highly-sought after for parties, celebrations and work functions. The city centre restaurant remains as popular as it ever was, with people heading there before or after a show at the nearby local theatre. Many of its customers over the last 40 years still visit today.
“We wanted to do something with our brand and we’ve exceeded our expectations,” says Safeer. “This has been our journey and now the name International speaks volumes in this area. We’ve been going from strength to strength – it’s very different from when my father was in charge – back then it was all providing authentic food. Now we have to ensure we are modern, keeping up with all our customers’ needs and ensuring we are ahead of the competition.”
Safeer is keeping an open mind about opening another International and says it’s important to never forget your roots.

“My father worked so hard in the 70s and 80s, he used to do 20-hour shifts, opening the restaurant all the way from 11 o’clock in the morning until six o’clock the following morning,” says Safeer. “He used to go to the markets and the cash and carry to pick up supplies and ingredients – it wasn’t easy and he made many sacrifices. We work hard now but it’s nothing compared to the work my father put in. If it wasn’t for the first International, we wouldn’t be here today. We don’t know where we might be in the future – it’s a journey, but one I’m excited to be on.”
International Restaurant
254 Sticker Lane, Bradford BD4 8RN
Morley Street, Bradford BD7 1BA
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A feast for the senses
Three Rooms in Bedford offers a fine dining experience that draws on India’s rich heritage

Three Rooms is no ordinary Indian restaurant. Located in Bedford’s town centre, the restaurant aims to provide customers with a multi-sensory, fine dining experience, with dishes inspired by Mughlai cuisine, whose roots date back to the royal kitchens of India.
The restaurant’s dishes include specials such as the Bengal Haandi Curry, with pieces of lamb or chicken cooked with fresh herbs in a medium, spiced sauce and oven cooked with pastry, helping to seal the aroma and the flavour. There’s also Three Rooms King Prawn, with shell-on king prawn cooked with green and red pepper and infused herbs and spices in an aromatic sauce, and the fiery Desi Naga chilli. Diners can also choose from Jaipuri Duck, featuring cumin, fennel and cinnamon, Hyderabadi Shanks, with lamb shanks in a sauce seasoned with cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, ginger and garlic and Chicken Khumbi, cooked with mushrooms, onions and ginger. There are also classic Indian dishes on the menu and they too aim to embody the essence of traditional Mughlai cuisine.
Tradition and innovation

The idea behind these dishes is to offer diners authentic, tasty cuisine drawing on recipes that date back hundreds of years, a reminder of India’s rich and storied past. Mughlai cuisine reflects the romance and splendour of an era long gone; dishes from the time were meticulously prepared with a commitment to authenticity and dedication to flavour and it’s this experience that Three Rooms seeks to replicate. With such attention to detail in the restaurant’s cuisine, it’s not surprising that owner Mohammed Shohel Miah, has long had a passion for the food industry.
“My family has been in the trade since the 1970s and I became involved in the 1980s at the age of 17,” he says. “I’ve since had decades of experience within the food sector and have previously owned my own business.”

Shohel, who is Bedford born and raised, says he took a risk opening Three Rooms nine years ago. The name – not a typical one for an Indian restaurant, simply refers to the three rooms on the premises, the main/front room, a snug room and a party room; the restaurant has seated capacity for up to 120, while its largest table seats up to 34 guests. It’s the perfect spot for a private dining event and there is also an inviting terrace for alfresco dining.
“Having been involved with various roles within my own community across different organisations, I decided to pursue a career in it and open a restaurant,” he explains. “It’s a trade where I have vast experience and ensuring customers are satisfied is a very fulfilling job. A lot of hard work, grit and determination has gone into this establishment. As a result, I have proudly built a well known restaurant with a loyal customer base. We are recognised for our exceptional customer service and unique take on Indian cuisine.”
Shohel’s dedication spans every aspect of the restaurant. Having hired designers for the space, he wasn’t happy with the suggested design so decided to do it all himself. The result is the 120-seat restaurant with a terrace, boasting a contemporary look and an elegant, warm ambience, reflecting what Three Rooms is aiming to do with its food.
“British curry houses really came on the scene in the 1950s and 1960s, but of course Indian food is from long before then, “ says Shohel. “Our aim is to keep this authenticity in the present time. We’ve taken on the responsibility of preserving this heritage, presenting it in a manner that’s both true to its origins and appealing to modern palates.”
It takes two
Shohel also credits his business partner and cousin Mohammed S Ali, who is also the head chef, with the success of the restaurant.
“I look after the front of house and he keeps the kitchen in order,” says Shohel. “My business partner has been with me since day one and the majority of our other staff have been with us over the years.”
The partnership is clearly reaping dividends with repeat customers making up around 85% of the restaurant’s clientele. Introducing new dishes on a regular basis and promoting these through social media is key – Three Rooms outsources its digital marketing, ensuring channels such as Facebook and Instagram, alongside the restaurant’s website, are updated and refreshed in line with the restaurant’s offerings.
“Digital marketing is really important – it enables us to stay on top of the game and we can promote our new dishes,” says Shohel. “I’ve been here for close to a decade and while we have plenty of repeat customers who know what they like to eat, sometimes they get bored of having the same dishes and they want to try something new.”
Living the dream
Even with a long list of satisfied customers who keep coming back for more, Three Rooms has not been immune from recent economic challenges, with rising costs being one of the biggest challenges it has faced in recent years.
“In the last 18 months or so, the cost of ingredients has gone up by 30% to 35% – even 40% in some cases – for items such as oil and chicken,” explains Shohel. “All of sudden you have to look at how you price your menu and what you can do to cater for these higher costs – you can’t increase prices by the same margin.”
Three Rooms increased its menu prices gradually, but even then, Shohel says balancing the books continues to be a challenge, as profit margins and percentages pre-Covid are very different to what they are today.
“We’re still working on that, trying to balance our costs so as not to hurt the customers’ pockets”, says Shohel. “but at the same time you want to sustain and run your business, paying the overheads and everything else. Nine years on though, here we are. I am living my absolute dream and strive to improve every single night we are open.”
Three Rooms
4 Kimbolton Road, Bedford, MK40 2NR
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Temple of BOOM!
Apart from the usual aromas that assault your senses when you enter a curry house, there’s a definite smell of success when you approach the Temple Fusion Restaurant in Woodford Essex.
The buzz of happy customers, being served by contented staff, is almost tangible.
Winners of several recent awards – both national and local – the successful eatery has become a popular permanent fixture in the local community over the past decade.
Fresh from his latest success at his year’s prestigious national Curry Life Awards – where the restaurant picked up a Best Restaurant of the Year Award – owner, chef and general all-rounder Soydul Hussain explains the secret of their success.
He says: “The trick is not to get complacent. This is such a competitive industry, which is constantly evolving with developments like new kitchen technology or front-of-house software, that you simply cannot risk standing still.”
As if to prove his point as we settle at our table, we are presented with a newly revised menu which has been a major recent project for Soydul and his team.
“The fusion menu is a good example of our desire to keep pace with changing tastes of our customers,” he explains.

“Over time you get to know what’s popular with regulars, and sometimes try little tweaks on old favourites for our more adventurous customers.”
Hence the new fusion menu includes Nepalese specialities such as Gurkha Jinhgha (where large prawns are marinated in a mixture of wholegrain mustard, lemon juice and ground spices) – as well as a clear nod to the trend towards vegan and vegetarian fare (including a Vegetable Sizzler and Quorn versions of Rogan Gosh, Bhuna, Madras and other traditional dishes).
There have also been significant front-of-house changes outside of the kitchen – with a total revamp of the dining area and the introduction of an outside eating area which proved extremely popular over the summer months.
Judging by our experience when visiting the restaurant on a busy weekday evening, the tweaks to the menu and restaurant ambiance are much appreciated by diners.
One regular customer seated at a nearby table with a group of friends confirmed: “There’s a group of around eight to ten of us who have been coming every week for the past ten years so they must be doing something right!
“We find the staff really helpful and it’s a nice relaxing atmosphere. The menu is really comprehensive too, so there’s pretty much something to suit everyone.”

Since opening around 13 years ago, Soydul is proud to point out that capacity and staffing have both virtually doubled to 80 covers and 17 staff – “while trying to maintain a homely, relaxed vibe.”
He sums up: “Our growth has been a big team effort – as was noted by the Curry Life award judges – and I like to think we are all part of a family, all working together to turn our vision into reality with a great deal of dedication.
“We couldn’t have achieved all that we have without my business partner and head chef Rumel Miah, who has been the creative genius behind our menu, constantly pushing boundaries with the help of his talented team.”
In addition to their coveted Curry Life Award, other recent accolades have come in the form of a Best Restaurant gong from the Bangladesh Caterers Association and local recognition in an awards programme run by the Guardian Group of newspapers.

There’s no doubt that something is stirring in this part of Essex – and the restaurant is developing into a Temple of Boom!
Temple Fusion Restaurant
Jubilee Parade, Snakes Lane East, Woodford Green, IG8 7QF – Tel: 020 8505 6687
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CURRY LIFE 106
Curry Life is Britain’s No.1 curry magazine, and it is distributed FREE to thousands of Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Nepalese restaurants.
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Naturally a winning formula
Innovative dishes and healthy ingredients are the order of the day at Olive Naturally Indian.
Street food done healthily is the concept behind Olive Naturally Indian and it’s one that seems to be working well. First opened in 2014 in Hemel Hempstead, there are now two other branches (the biggest, in Flitwick and another one in St Neot’s) and there are plans afoot for a fourth one in Hitchin that will seat around 60 people.
Owner Suhel Ahmed, who came to the UK from Bangladesh in 2009, runs the business alongside two business partners, Abul Choudhury and Mohammed Suleman Miah. He is more than up for a challenge, given that the second branch was opened just before Covid and the third one just after.
“I was interested in cooking and I used to visit many restaurants, working for different suppliers; this gave me the idea – I realised there were hardly any restaurants at that time offering Indian street food,” explains Ahmed. “We want to showcase food from different parts of India, cooked by expert chefs, all of whom come from India.”
As Ahmed explains, it seemed a good idea to open just after Covid – few other businesses besides food ones were open as everyone had to eat, and Ahmed wanted to help people too. He admits that it was a struggle at times but the three existing restaurants are testament to his resilience.
“After Covid, prices for our utilities were sky high and have remained so,” says Ahmed. “We have increased our prices a little to balance out our bills but trading times continue to be tough.”
Point of difference
With profit margins markedly different from those of previous years, it’s imperative to deliver good food and excellent service at all times. It’s also about being different. One of the reasons why Hitchin has been earmarked as a potential location is that at present, says Ahmed, there are only a few Indian restaurants there, all offering traditional dishes. This makes Olive Naturally Indian‘s street food twist all the more appealing.
“Our customers aren’t just attracted by the high quality, fine-dining style of the meals – they also really like the design of our restaurants and the customer service,” says Ahmed.
The ‘healthy’ nature of the restaurants’ cuisine is another point of difference. Part of the name – Olive Naturally, is a nod to this, bringing to mind healthy food that is not greasy or processed, with the idea that it is close to the Mediterranean style of cooking.
“There is less oil in our dishes and we use natural ingredients – no colouring or artificial flavours,” says Ahmed. “Our products are premium quality too – we use tender lamb rather than mutton which can be tough. Chicken tikka masala can often be made with cream but we prepare it without, in the traditional Indian way.”
Some of the popular items on the menu are the restaurant’s Puri selection, including Pani Puree – a savoury sphere stuffed with spicy potatoes served with tamarind water, dosas filled with a choice of spiced potato, shredded chicken and paneer cheese and Papri Chaat, served chilled and featuring crispy pastries, chickpeas and potatoes, served with sweet yoghurt and chutney.
Dishes that showcase different flavours from across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh include Kolkatan Sweet Chili Chicken, Goan Khumbi Chicken and Coorgi Coconut Lamb, with the meat cooked in coconut milk flavoured with cardamom and saffron.
Full on flavour
Customers are also spoilt for choice when it comes to the restaurant’s rice selection, with ten types to choose from, with additions including lemon and cashew nut, lime and coconut, keema mushroom and spring onion, garlic and caramalised butter.
Olive Naturally Indian also has a selection of wines from India, including Chenin Blanc, Rose and Shiraz, alongside French and Spanish ones. Ahmed says people really enjoy the choice of drinks available, particularly as more and more customers seem to enjoy drinking wine rather than beer with their curries.
“Customers love this, it adds another premium feel to our offering. The Indian wines are light and sweet so they accompany curry dishes well,” he says.
Attention to detail is all important too, so Olive Naturally Indian only offers takeaways during the week, enabling the restaurants to focus on their customers, ensuring they have an enjoyable experience every time they dine.
Attracting skilled workers for the restaurant remains one of Ahmed’s biggest challenges.
Olive Naturally Indian trains its own chefs across its restaurants, but with the cost of living still continuing to bite and staff expecting higher wages, running the business is still a challenging balancing act. Despite this, Ahmed wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I like to serve customers and see them enjoying our food. We have a five-star hygiene rating, and with our Flitwick branch, we are the number one out of 14 restaurants in Flitwick on TripAdvisor, and we achieved this in just two months. That’s down to how much our customers have supported us and that is why we are still here and motivated.”
Olive Naturally Indian
8 High St
Flitwick
Bedford MK45 1DS
Visit the website.

Restaurants to provide single-sex toilets under new laws
New legislation will be brought forward for single sex toilet facilities in new non-domestic buildings to alleviate safety, privacy and dignity concerns.
These changes to building regulations, which were unveiled prior to the General Election announcement, will mean that new non-domestic buildings, including restaurants, will be required to provide separate single-sex toilets for women and men.
The new legislation follows the results of a consultation on the proposals, where responses showed 81% agreed with the intention for separate single-sex toilet facilities and 82% agreed with the intention to provide universal toilets where space allows.
A universal toilet is self-contained, and a fully enclosed toilet room with a wash hand basin for individual use.
Concerns from women, elderly and the disabled
Responses highlighted particular concerns from women, elderly and the disabled who felt unfairly disadvantaged as publicly accessible toilets are increasingly being converted into gender neutral facilities where users share cubicle and hand-washing facilities. This leads to increasing waiting in shared queues, decreased choice and less privacy and dignity.
The new requirements will mean everyone can access appropriate facilities either through a separate single-sex space or a self-contained, universal toilet.
Changes to building regulations will ensure that separate single-sex toilets facilities are provided for men and women; that self-contained, universal toilets may be provided in addition to single-sex toilets, where space allows and that self-contained universal toilets may be provided instead of single-sex toilets only where lack of space reasonably precludes provision of single-sex toilet accommodation.
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A taste of Nepal
Chef Laxman Bhandari’s refined Nepalese cuisine continues to impress diners, 10 years on from opening.
As a chef with more than 30 years experience, Laxman Bhandari has worked all over the world, in restaurants and hotels in Dubai, India and Nepal to name a few.
For around the last ten years however, his base has been somewhere a little less exotic but no less rewarding.
He opened the 50-seater Da Mount Gurkha Nepalese restaurant in 2015 in Liverpool with his wife Geeta, who manages the front of house, with the aim of providing refined Nepalese cuisine.
As a fine-dining establishment, Da Mount Gurkha has won plaudit after plaudit from diners and reviewers.
While the majority of customers are familiar with Indian food and many of the dishes you might find at curry houses, the same cannot be said for Nepalese cuisine, which has enabled the restaurant to build up a loyal following.
“Our customers are really excited to order the food and taste something different – and when it’s served fine-dining style, it’s even more special,” says Geeta.
“People are keen to try food that is well-presented. To stay ahead, it’s all about the food we serve, how it tastes and looks and superlative customer service.”
The restaurant may be located in Liverpool but once you step inside, you might feel instantly transported to Nepal, with authentic background music and the walls adorned with pictures of Nepalese mountains. The restaurant underwent a refurbishment in 2021 and also has a modern feel.
Exacting standards
Laxman works long hours – the same as when he first established Da Mount Gurkha and is clearly a talented and dedicated chef and the driving force behind the restaurant.
Even his wife admits that she does not know how some of the dishes are cooked, such is her husband’s skill at being able to adapt dishes at a moment’s notice or prepare something completely new.
Being creative, trying new foods and adding a twist to even the most well-known of dishes is his forte.
As one would expect, Laxman uses a range of spices, including specific Nepalese mountain spices (while the restaurant sources as much as it can from local suppliers, some harder-to-find ingredients come from London),
Food presentation is equally important, – for Laxman, food does not only have to taste good but look good too. Unsurprisingly, he is the one who motivates and inspires everyone in the restaurant to strive for the best service possible.
Geeta says she mostly cooks for the family at home (giving Laxman a well-earned break) but even then, he often casts a critical eye over dishes.
Da Mount Gurkha’s most popular dishes include the spicy chicken Dhede Khursani, made with peppers and cream and the Bhutwa, served with chicken, lamb or fish.
There’s also a varied selection of ‘momos’ – Nepalese-style dumplings, filled with chicken or vegetables. Vegetarian dishes are also plentiful on the menu, which Geeta says are proving very popular with younger diners.
Attention to detail
In charge of front of house, Geeta ensures that customers arrive happy and leave even happier. She previously had a career managing different teams in travel agencies and hospitality, and this business experience has stood her in good stead when it comes to managing the front of house.
Her tip to provide the best customer experience is to preempt and anticipate any problems that may arise – if any issues can be dealt with before they become too big, then customers are much more likely to leave satisfied.
While Geeta acknowledges that they can’t do everything for everyone, both Laxman and her try to get as close to 100% customer satisfaction as possible. If customers request a dish that is not on the menu, Laxman aims to serve one that is similar, while Geeta says being attentive is important too.
“We try to ask for feedback while the customers are eating, so if there’s anything we can improve there and then we will,” she says. “We also make sure they have anything they might need, such as more drinks or side dishes.”
Laxman is also keen to ensure that the menu does not change too much, preferring to add a new dish every now and then or introducing a twist to a long-standing favourite.
“We’re conscious our customers might get upset if we change the menu too much and too often,” says Geeta. “They are used to our food and dishes and if they can’t find something they like, they will be disappointed! We add dishes every now and then but try not to remove any.”
Forging on
In its 10 years of trading, Da Mount Gurkha has had its fair amount of challenges. At the time that Laxman signed for the property in 2015 and prepared to open a restaurant, a deadly earthquake struck Nepal; Geeta was there at the time, and it was a stressful moment for all concerned.
When Covid forced all restaurants to close, Da Mount Gurkha had to adapt quickly to ensure it made it through the pandemic, and it had to offer takeaways for the very first time.
Today, it still offers a takeaway service, although this is only a small portion of its business as Laxman and Geeta prefer to focus on the dining experience.
Having started the business in such stressful circumstances, and survived the Covid pandemic, Geeta and Laxman appear ready to deal with anything that might be thrown at them. They have responded to the rising costs of energy and ingredients by increasing (slightly) the prices on the menu, conscious that they do not alienate their customers, many of whom are regulars.
“While we have increased our prices, we are spending more so it’s always a balancing act when it comes to making a profit.” says Geeta.
“We only want to increase our prices a little because our customers are in the same situation with the higher cost of living. It’s important for us to keep welcoming back our diners and to attract new ones and we are excited for what the future holds.”
Da Mount Gurkha
71 Crosby Rd N
Waterloo
Liverpool L22 4QD
Visit the website.

Indian Rose: Sweet smell of success
Indian Rose opened two years ago and has rapidly made its mark in Plymouth and beyond.
Mohamed Abu Ubayda, the owner of Indian Rose in Plymouth, Cornwall has been a chef for more than 30 years, having honed his craft with cooking lessons at school, on the job and by taking inspiration from different cooking techniques and ingredients.
His dishes have often blended Indian recipes with English and Chinese ones.
Having originally studied law in the UK, he quickly went back to his first love of cooking, and enjoys creating dishes that push the boundaries and which use a range of ingredients.
“In this industry, many of the older generation chefs haven’t adapted well to modern, new ways of cooking and preparing food,” he says.
“I’ve always been keen to learn and take things forward. I have trained chefs and they have sometimes struggled to replicate my dishes as so many things go in them that it’s hard to remember. So I’ve written them down as they combine a lot of spices and other ingredients – for example in some spicier dishes I’ve used raw cane sugar.”
Indian Rose in demand
Indian Rose, which seats around 100 people and which opened in June 2022 is Ubayda’s eighth restaurant to date (along with Indian Rose, he still owns another, located around 20 miles away).
Two years on, the restaurant has quickly grown in popularity, which the team puts down to its unique creations with flavour combinations not often seen at other restaurants, an aspect Ubayda feels makes his restaurant stand out.
“When I started Indian Rose, it was the first time in 19 years that I had opened a restaurant – and the reason behind it is simple. Mutley, where the restaurant is located, has been crying out for an Indian restaurant – the last one was here maybe 15-20 years ago,” he says. “And while 2022 was a very challenging time to open any business, friends and family had confidence in me because of the different vision I brought to the restaurant.”
Opening the restaurant proved to be a popular move, with customers telling Ubayda that it’s the best thing he could have done for the area. And it’s not just the food that has caught customers’ attention. Much time and thought has also been invested in the restaurant’s interior design, which is distinctly pink, It’s a homage to roses, all done under the watchful eye of Ubayda’s wife, Fatima.
“I designed the kitchen, the rest of the decor was all planned by my wife, who has never previously worked in this industry, but her love of roses inspired the name,” says Ubayda. “When people walk in, they see a wall full of roses, which we ordered from Germany. It took three and a half months in total to set it all up but it really gives the restaurant a wow factor.”
Changing times
Some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes include its crispy corolla starter – a tiger prawn with a sweet red and spicy sauce, its aromatic Suhana with mango and Adari tikka delight, featuring tomato sauce and a wide variety of spices.
Other dishes with a twist include Chicken Tikka Malawi, featuring a sweet and sour sauce, and shashlik Nerala, with chicken or lamb cooked with red and green peppers/onions in a Tandoori oven and Adari Tikka Delight. Ubayda is also always keen to try new dishes with both his staff and customers .
“Indian food has changed a lot over the last five years – people are bored of chicken curry, of the madras and the korma dishes,” says Ubayda. “The younger generation aren’t so keen on this old-style curry – since I’ve opened Indian Rose I’ve realised people want change.”
Presentation is all-important too, another area Indian Rose prides itself on. Ubayda recalls advice from many years ago: “If it looks good, it’s edible. And if you can eat it, serve it to your customers. And if you can’t, throw it in the bin.”
Creative output
Indian cuisine needs an injection of creativity – as Ubayda notes, other cuisines have moved onwards and upwards whereas Indian food has remained largely the same, with many older generation chefs seemingly stuck in time.
“I’d love younger people to come into the industry and improve the food and be creative – that is the biggest problem we have – a lack of youngsters in the industry,” he says.
“We need to bring in youngsters who can create and visualise a lot of different dishes.But it’s the long hours that put them off – they don’t want to work till midnight – they want a 9-to-5 job or one with more sociable hours.”
Ubayda believes that the best way forward is to attract people from abroad, and one solution could be a government-backed training scheme, with a commitment to provide training for those coming from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Like others in hospitality, Indian Rose is not immune from macro trends, with price hikes across food and energy and the rising cost of wages continuing to impact on margins. The business is doing well for itself, but Ubayda says it is hard because when everybody else is quiet or busy, so too is Indian Rose.
“With regards to our prices, we’ve kept them reasonable and as low as possible – I want to help people out because I understand how hard things are,” he says. “I wish I could put my prices up, but I would end up losing too many customers.”
Ever creative, Ubayda has some grand plans for the future. The vision for the coming years is to open a franchise based on the concept of Indian Rose but only if things improve with regards to the economy. Hopefully he won’t have to wait too long to spread his creativity and flair.
Visit the Indian Rose website.
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