British Asian fusion restaurant MyLahore has been going 20 years. It started in Bradford and now has branches on Rusholme's Curry Mile, Birmingham, Blackburn and Leeds.
The family behind the curry empire only had £5 in their pockets between them when they arrived in Yorkshire, and began working in mills and on buses. Later, they decided to open up their sweet shop which later was passed down to their sons and transformed into MyLahore.
The "awesome" Asian kitchen was founded in 2002 by brothers and cousins Ishfaq Farroq, Shakoor Ahmed, Ashgar Ali, Mohammaed Mahroof, Ghafoor Farooq, and Masood Farooq. Their flagship Great Horton Road spot in Bradford has since developed into a popular eatery raking in four and five star reviews, , YorkshireLive reports.
The restaurant, nominated for an award at the Asian Restaurant Awards 2022, has a rich family history after the seed was sewn by the owners' fathers Farman Ali and Mohammed Farrooq. The pair arrived in Yorkshire for the first time in 1964.
The hotspot serves "tantalising" curries, as well as "quintesstially" British dishes "with a twist". It began as a small family-run eatery for locals and has now has franchised into branches all over the north.
The restaurant has previously welcomed members of the royal family to dine, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well a whole host of celebrities. Speaking about their menu the owners said: "Our menu is famously diverse, with something for everyone, and we just love offering up tastes of adventure as well as culinary strolls down memory lane.
"So in a hectic world, why not slow down and savour the moment with us, as we bring you flavours from a very colourful journey. MyLahore is rooted in Yorkshire in a world of small kitchens yet huge hearts, where families tuck into everything from samosas to shepherd’s pie, and karahis to cornflake tarts.
"It’s a very British Asian story that just had to be shared. We love to bring people together around great food and vibrant, fulfilling experiences."
The restaurant is celebrating its 20th anniversary in style, including a giant cake in the shape of 20, made out of white chocolate and strawberries. Thanking supporters on social media, the owners said: "We thank God for showering his kindness and blessings on MyLahore for two decades.
"We had a simple dream to open a place with quality food, a relaxed environment, and provide fulfilling experiences for our customers, teams and communities. 20 years on, we’re blessed to still be a Bradford-based family business trying to combine old school values with fresh thinking."
They added: "We’re honoured to have a presence across the country, with nearly 500 team members from over 20 different nationalities, and blessed to be serving more customers and supporting more communities than ever before.
"Although MyLahore opened its doors in 2002, the truth is that its foundations were laid many decades earlier. We would not be where we are today without the hard work, sacrifice and blessings of our elders. We cannot thank them enough.
MyLahore is open from Monday to Thursday from 12pm until 12am, Friday 12pm until 1am, and Saturday and Sunday 1pm until 1am.
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