A local businessman is bringing one of the UK’s fastest-growing Indian street food cafés to Bedford Borough, with a strong focus on community, culture and fresh food made to order.
Chaiiwala has opened a new site at Interchange Retail Park in Kempston, led by local franchisee Saj Zaman, who lives in Turvey, and his business partner, Inderjeet Assi, who together already run a successful branch in Milton Keynes.
“Today is an amazing day,” said Saj. “Not just because we have opened, but because we are doing it, supported by a local school. Priory Primary’s children are here on our first day, learning about world food and trying Indian street food for themselves.”
He added that Priory Primary was chosen “because unfortunately they are sitting in one of the most deprived parts of Bedford” and many pupils “come from challenging backgrounds”.
“For the children, it is about more than food,” he said. “It is an experience, something different on their doorstep and a chance to see that brands like Chaiiwala are for them too.”
Opened by local school children
Priory Primary headteacher, Juliet Fraser, said the visit ties directly into classroom learning.
She explained that pupils are currently working on a topic called “Food, Glorious Food”, looking at where food comes from around the world and exploring ideas such as food miles and how ingredients reach our plates.
“Instead of just finding ready-packaged food, they are building a real understanding of what is behind all of that,” she said.
But for Juliet, the link with Chaiiwala is about more than a one-off treat.
“I am really aware that for these children, they are going to be the ones who, when Universal is up and running, will have all sorts of career opportunities in hospitality, service industries, maybe running their own business or certainly running a franchise, which is what Chaiiwala is,” she said.
“I am going to invite these guys back in the spring when we do a careers week. We are working really hard on raising the children’s aspirations. We want to say: you know what, there is really exciting, purposeful work and it is going to be here on your doorstep.”
Priory Primary serves a highly diverse community, something Juliet says is reflected in the way children approach food and culture.
“We are a multinational school,” she said. “There is a complete openness and willingness to try and share cuisines. Cuisine is a huge part of culture.
“They are a delightful community. Accepting, welcoming and tolerant of each other. They live and work together, so this feels completely natural to them.”
A social hub for all
For Saj, part of the motivation for bringing Chaiiwala to Bedford Borough is to give local people a new place to meet and eat.
“It does mean a lot to the local community,” he said. “For the average South Asian person, there is not many places for them to go and socialise and eat halal food locally in this way.
“To get out of your household, to mix and socialise with friends and family, what better place to come than Chaiiwala?”
And, he said the brand’s appeal is far wider than any one community.
“At our other store, I would say we have a 50–50 split between South Asian and non–South Asian customers,” he said. “It is becoming popular with everyone.”
Saj, says the new café now adds that welcome variety to the local area.
“When you come to the retail park, instead of going to your usual McDonald’s or KFC, come and try us,” he said. “Once you have been, you are going to love it.”
Fresh, fast and fusion
Chaiiwala is a UK-based Indian street food café brand which traces its roots back to a single tea stall in New Delhi in 1927. It has since grown into a global chain with more than 100 UK locations, known for its freshly brewed Karak Chai and Indian street food.
“We have traditional Indian dishes like chicken tikka naan wraps, which everybody loves,” said Saj. “But then we have a slight fusion too.
“For example, we have a masala beans and cheese toastie. Instead of just a normal cheese toastie, add masala beans and a bit of spice. It is amazing.
“We have pasties that people really love, chicken tikka, cheese and jalapeno. Once you have tried them, you are never going to want a regular pasty again.”
Although the offer is quick-service, Saj stresses that the focus is still on fresh preparation and quality.
“It is fast food, but it is fresh,” he said. “All of our vegetables arrive fresh every morning from Spitalfields in central London.
“We brew our tea fresh on site every day, which takes nearly 45 minutes. There is a labour of love going into what we do. We prepare all our toasties fresh on site every single day. There are a lot of fresh ingredients, and it is healthy.”
He said the aim is to serve food within eight to ten minutes.
“We are quick, but it still takes a bit of time to get that food ready, so it is nice, fresh and hot,” he said. “We are not a place where you walk in, place your order, and it is handed to you in seconds. Sometimes there might be a little wait, but that is because we are actually cooking.”
Family-friendly
Saj describes Chaiiwala as “a family business, a family restaurant, a family café”.
“We want people to bring their families, sit and enjoy not just the hot food but the array of desserts,” he said. “A lot of Chaiiwalla restaurants, especially in the evenings, have couples and families coming just for desserts. It is an amazing experience.”
At Kempston Interchange, the café offers eat-in and takeaway, with opening hours from 7am to 11pm, Monday to Saturday, and 7am to 10pm on Sundays.
Saj said he is looking forward to seeing the Kempston and Bedford community make the new Chaiiwala their own.
“Even if this kind of food is what you eat at home, having a brand and a shop in your own area doing it, with a place to sit together, means a lot,” he said. “And if you have never tried Indian street food before, this is a really welcoming place to start.”
