Jamun restaurant in Brighton is the latest offering from husband-and-wife team Nitin and Anushree Patil, having opened Spices and Spirits in Basingstoke in 2019 (which was named Best Restaurant of the Year at the Curry Life Awards 2024) and Spice House in Andover two years ago.
Jamun, named after the Indian fruit renowned for its sweet and tangy taste, opened around 18 months ago, and offers Indian street food with a twist – reimagining traditional recipes and flavours. Its huge range of dishes, including many vegan options and its laid-back vibe has proved to be a hit, even with the range of competition available. Brighton has a plethora of Indian restaurants, including established big names such as Dishoom and Mowgli.
“Our restaurant has a café feel, which is ideal for the footfall in Brighton,” says Nitin. “Mostly people want to pop in and out, and enjoy a good meal. They’re on the way home and they want to eat, or they are heading out for the evening. We’ve got a relaxed menu and atmosphere, ideal for diners who are here on a short holiday or break, people who are attending conferences, students and residents.”
The place to be
One of the main challenges when they first opened was location. As Nitin outlines, one of Brighton’s main areas for eating out is The Lanes, known for its buzzing atmosphere and range of restaurants and bars.
“All the other big [restaurant] names are based there and our location on West Street is by the seafront so it can be harder to attract customers,” he says. “So we had a real challenge when we first opened to promote the restaurant, but within six months, word of mouth had spread and it took off from there.”
Jamun’s size is one advantage over other restaurants, however. It can seat up to 110, and it will also accommodate big groups of between 20 to 30 in one sitting. As with their other restaurants, head chef Anushree is behind the mouth-watering dishes and snacks which are available throughout the day, while Nitin takes care of operations. Anushree has trained all of the staff who work at all three restaurants and they rotate between them, ensuring the same standards are maintained across all three. Anushree describes her cooking as ‘pure authentic Indian’, focusing on bringing out flavours rather than toning down the spices or heat. She spent time with chefs from various parts of India, learning and understanding from their experience in restaurants, private homes and stately palaces and from street food vendors too. Anushree also runs a catering business alongside the restaurants.
So what’s on the menu at Jamun? The Vada Pav, made with mustard seeds and curry leaf, gram flour, dry red chilli and chutney is especially popular (and also available as a vegan option), as is the ‘Brighton Butter Chicken’, featuring slow-cooked chicken tikka and creamy tomato fondue. Vegan dishes include ‘5 pepper jackfruit’, with tempered garlic and ginger and pink peppercorn, Dhaniya Jeera Aloo Hara, flavoured with chaat masala and Kadai Khumb. The desserts are just as impressive. Choose from a tiramisu trifle with litchi rabid or Jamun Jamun – home-made khoya with saffron and rose water, while the vegan option, Jamun Bhog – cashew nut, pistachio, date and mango is just as enticing.
Three restaurants, many challenges
Running three restaurants, Nitin is well aware of the challenges facing the hospitality industry. Top of his list is finding the right staff and then training them.
“Indian cuisine is complex – there are so many elements, spices and processes to go through to produce one or two dishes,” he says. “Those restaurants that require chefs with few skills – serving fast food for example, are the ones that are growing, while those featuring more complex dishes are finding it a real challenge to survive.”
The fact that prices remain high is another concern, with expensive raw materials leading to smaller margins.
“Costs continue to go up – you can’t increase the prices, because then people won’t book or walk in,” he says. “It’s a difficult climate in which to make a business viable and we use a lot of social media to stay in touch with new and potential customers. Brighton is as good a location as any though as it attracts a constant stream of visitors.”
As Nitin outlines, it’s about taking small steps to improve or change the business as you grow. Jamun was not open all day to begin with but extended its hours to offer all day dining on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays, in line with growing demand. There are plans in the future to extend these hours further and potentially serve breakfast, Indian street-food style.
Changes are afoot at Spices and Spirits too, with an expansion that will see the addition of 50 seats upstairs. The space will also be available for office meetings, banquets and special events.
“We’ve got the right formula at the moment but we’re always keen to spot new opportunities and keep on delivering for our customers,” says Nitin.
Jamun
14 West St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 2RE
