The founder of a successful chain of curry restaurants, known for his invention of the “hanging naan,” has died at the age of 56. Shabir Hussain established the first Akbar’s restaurant in Bradford in 1995, with further outlets following in cities such as Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow and Birmingham. Following his passing, every branch of the restaurant would be closed for two days in respect. On social media, the chain announced: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Shabir Hussain, founder of Akbar’s Restaurant Group”.
Mr. Hussain gave an interview earlier in the year claiming that he had designed a new metal stand with hooks to hold large naan bread. The restaurateur invented the vertical stand as a business move as he had seen very large naan bread in Birmingham and serving them in his restaurant would require bigger tables. In the podcast, he stated: “I’m the guy who invented the naan tree – my biggest regret is I could have patented it. It’s actually now used everywhere by everybody.” The maker created a heavy base, which would prevent it from falling over, brought it upwards, and initially put hooks on just one side. However, a hook was later added to both sides, and two naans could now be hung at the same time. Mr. Hussain said that it was just a space-saver, and he didn’t expect it to turn into a craze, as people started to come to the restaurant only to see it.
A close friend of Hussain, Fatima Patel, and editor of the Asian Standard, characterized him as a “larger than life character.” Patellargued that he revolutionized the curry industry by creating new ways to present curry not only to non-Asian individuals but also to the Asian community. “It was a remarkable vision he had, not only as someone who was able to produce amazing food, but that marketing and entrepreneurial spirit he just had a knack for,” she added.. She also mentioned how he transformed the presentation of naan bread in his restaurants and noted that many other restaurants had imitated it
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