MAYUR PATEL’S GUJARATI DHOKRA
“Nobody makes samosas regularly – and my mum’s are banging!”
Mum and dad’s plan for me was definitely get a good education and get out of the food business,’ laughs restaurateur Mayur Patel. ‘But we had to take their legacy to the next level.’
In the early 90s, Kaushy and Mohan Patel opened Bradford’s Prashad (prashad.co.uk), a deli, later deli-café, which, after appearing on Channel 4’s Ramsay’s Best Restaurant in 2010, was recognised as one of the UK’s best Gujarati vegetarian venues. Demand was such that, in 2012, Mayur’s brother, Bobby, with his wife and chef, Minal, relaunched Prashad as a dedicated restaurant in Drighlington.
Meanwhile, Mayur has been busy as co-owner), a hip craft beer and Gujarati street-food canteen with sites in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. ‘I don’t think dad fully understands it,’ concedes Mayur. ‘For them, developing Prashad towards fine dining was their goal, so it’s, “Why have you got chipboard on the walls?”.’ But, for Mayur, Bundobust’s DIY décor and snacky menu of bhaji butties, okra fries and classics like tarka dhal, channels the spirit of his parents’ side-street deli. ‘It’s going back to bring it forwards.’
