Redding takeaway wins National Spice Award weeks after opening

Desi Corner in Redding after opening to the public on June 24, was nominated for five industry awards, and named the winner of Best Indian Takeaway recently.

Nineteen-year-old Adam Ali, whose grandad and dad are well-known figures in the Redding area, had the idea for the takeaway after spotting a need for it in the community. Despite initial uncertainty, the positive public response while setting it up gave him confidence that he was onto a good thing.

Adam explained: “I knew from local residents they would appreciate it. Even my dad said that years ago, people would say to him, ‘You need to open a takeaway up there. You need a late night takeaway, because there was nothing on Redding Road.’”

From the initial idea to the launch of Desi Corner, it took Adam more than a year and half of hard graft and commitment.

Adam said: “It was 110 per cent worth it. I planned it for a few years. But I was always back and forth because it wasn't empty. It was used as a storage unit for the whole family. So, everyone was just putting bits and pieces from the shop. If someone had a broken-down fridge or machine, in it went.

“I think it was about six skip trips later before it was actually empty, the process was hard but I’m glad I had that because it showed me that it was worth it.”

After opening the takeaway Adam was expecting a relatively calm start to the business, however the response was far greater than he could have predicted.

Adam said: “There were literally people popping in to ask when the opening day was, and on the first day we opened, people waiting for us to lift the shutters.

“Social media influencers, like the Forth Valley Food Guy, did us a massive favour because as soon as they mentioned us we had people travelling from as far away as Glasgow. There was even one guy up from England, staying in a hotel, who Googled us and said he had to visit.”

The social media response has been very positive, in particular, people have commented on the pakora, of which Adam’s grandad, ‘Mr Ali’, made famous around the local area.

Moving from Pakistan to Glasgow, Adam’s grandad Safdar would eventually settle in Falkirk in 1984 and open a shop, however his love for food has always been there.

Adam explained: “Before he moved from Glasgow to Falkirk, my grandad worked for a long time as a head chef in places like Belfast, but because of the long travel and his young children, he chose to set up a shop in Falkirk.

“My grandad still had a real passion for food though, years ago he used to cook pakora and just let the customers try it, they were all encouraging him to actually sell it, and eventually he started bagging and selling it.”

The passion continues and Safdar still cooks in the house to this day. When Adam mentioned he was considering launching a takeaway, the former head chef’s eyes lit up. Now that it's open, he can regularly be found helping out around the premises.

The Desi of the takeaway name is translated from Pakistan as authentic food cooked from traditional recipes, with lots of local praise going towards the use of unique spices and dishes found in the menu, many of which can be traced back to grandad Safdar’s career as a chef.

Adam says there’s something that first time visitors must try. He said: “Loaded naan has become massive for us, we basically pack the naan with toppings of your choice, such as south Indian chicken, that’s one of our Desi specials.

“And literally every order that comes in, no matter how big or small, always has a side order of pakora.”