Brothers ‘proud’ that Indian restaurant scooped award – and dedicated win to their father
Two brothers expressed their pride that their Indian restaurant scooped a prestigious county award, and dedicated the win to their father who founded the business more than two decades ago.
Tamarind Restaurant, which serves traditional Bangladeshi and Indian food in Wellingborough Road, was named World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year at the recent Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.
Rafi and Omi Rahman, who have supported their father Tipu Rahman from a young age and now run the business, spoke to the Chronicle & Echo.
This was the second time that Tamarind was shortlisted for an award, and they secured a silver title previously.
The pair thanked the award organisers for appreciating their hard work over the years, and their customers for the support shown to the Rahman family for more than two decades in the town.
“It’s very important to support independents,” said Omi. “When you capture the family essence in a restaurant, a lot of people say it’s like a home away from home. They feel very welcome and supporting businesses like us keeps us long-lasting.
“Helping and supporting local businesses helps everyone. The community keeps us tight-knit and together.”
The brothers spoke of the “rocky patches” the business has survived through, particularly during the pandemic.
Rafi said: “We endeavour to carry on pushing boundaries within Northampton town, to allow people to come and enjoy authentic Indian and Bangladeshi food. We couldn’t do this without our dad if he didn’t set this up in the first place, and our mum too.”
When asked what they believe sets Tamarind apart from other establishments across the town and wider county, Omi said: “It’s the family essence, the family touch.
“All of our customers have known us for a long time. They’ve watched us grow up. They’ve seen us go through secondary school, university and now married life. You name it.
“It’s the rapport we have with our customers and ultimately the food we serve. We aim to give the best food and I think everybody enjoys it.”
Tamarind is so in demand that Rafi and Omi had to leave the awards ceremony early, as they were inundated with orders on that Thursday evening and had to go back to work.