The manager of City Spice in Brick Lane London E1, has picked up the coveted ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Male)’ Award at the British Bangladeshi Business Awards yesterday, which took place at The New Bingley Hall, Birmingham.
Niaz Muhaimen, who's 19, created the restaurant's vegan curry menu last year, making itthe first Brick Lane eatery to do so, and he also recently launched the first mock meat menu for an Indian restaurant in the UK.
Dubbed as ‘The Prince of Brick Lane’, Muhaimen balances managing the awardwinning restaurant alongside studying for a BSc Economics at the University of Birmingham. Niaz has been working in the catering industry since the age of 14, cementing himself as a young entrepreneur in the business.
It’s not the first time the restaurant has been recognised – as the award is added to a cabinet of successes including ‘restaurant of the year’ title in 2017 (Asian Curry Awards) and BCA Best Vegan restaurant in London award 2018.
Muhaimen commented, “It’s a pleasure to accept this award – it was a competitive category and an honor to be recognised by the Desh Foundation. As a family we all bring something to the table but being from a different generation I’ve been able to diversify and innovate our menu’s and strategies, making sure we’re always one step ahead.”
As well as bringing the vegan scene to Brick Lane, Niaz has also reduced staff turnover by 50%, and increased bookings by 89% thanks to his website design and bespoke booking system.
