Restaurant Owner: Azmal Hussain on CurryStories.co.uk

Описание: Azmal Hussain owns several restaurants in Brick Lane, East London. He is also Secretary of Brick Lane Restaurant Association.

Initially, he claimed asylum in Sweden before coming to the UK. He learnt his craft of cooking in Sweden. He explains that he ‘always had been an owner.’

At emphasises that at least 90% of the Indian restaurants in Brick Lane are leaseholders. He is one a few who owns his restaurant. For those who are leasing restaurants, introduction of high speed railway, rise in business rate could put them on the edge of financial ruin. Also, Tower Hamlets Council’s head office is going to move in Whitechapel. These are uncertain times for the Indian curry houses in Brick Lane.

He admits that Indian restaurant sector needs to be professionalised where cooks should be trained just like European chefs and learn about hygiene and healthy cooking to meet the need of new types of consumers. His restaurant uses organic meat and fresh vegetables. He uses British meat too.

When he set up his restaurant in the 1990s, Brick Lane was like Bangladesh. The Indian restaurant sector was booming. "it was like a bazaar' he says. Right now, the area of Brick Lane could be any where in Europe.

There are uncertain times ahead for the sector. Each restaurants are undercutting each other to win over customers.