Restaurateur's love for Shropshire community after setting up business 5,000 miles from home town
A restaurateur who started life 5,000 miles away has spoken of his gratitude for the support of Shropshire residents.
Arosh Ali was born in a waterside village in Bangladesh, now he’s the proud owner of Pickles, an Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant in Market Drayton.
Like many businesses, navigating the pandemic, inflation and the cost of living crisis hasn’t been easy for the restaurateur, known as Ali to his customers.
But amid the ongoing struggles facing the hospitality sector, this business owner has spoken of his love for the town and its inhabitants.
Ali explained how he ended up 5,000 miles from home. He said: “I was looking for a good place to establish a restaurant when an English friend invited me to visit Market Drayton. I immediately took to the town and the many people I met during my stay, so in 2016 opened Pickles in Shropshire Street.”
Ali admits to being alarmed when the lockdown started and all restaurants had to close, although following strict guidelines it was possible to continue takeaway and home delivery services.
He said: “We have always offered a delivery service or a 10 per cent reduction for collections, so I hoped that would keep us going. For about the first two weeks, there was very little trade, and my worst fears that we might not survive seemed to be coming true. As the situation settled down, our fantastic customers started to return.”
Unlike many restaurants, Ali decided not to take part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
“After careful consideration, I decided not to take part,” he said. “It seemed to me that all sitting in one room, even with social distancing, would pose too great a risk to both my customers and staff.
“Our loyal customers continued supporting the takeaway side of our business.”
Ali was born in the village of Katia, close to Bangladesh’s second city Sylhet.
Whilst still a child Ali was brought to England by his family and attended school in Tipton. Whilst at school he did part-time work in an Indian restaurant and, seeing the chefs at work, realised that is what he wanted to do.
Following professional training in Mumbai and Dhaka to master both Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine he became head chef in a few other restaurants before coming to Market Drayton to offer traditional dishes alongside his original creations.
Ali has always been keen to support the town including sponsoring Market Drayton Town Football Club, the Rock and Bowl Festival, and Ginger and Spice festival.
