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Restaurateur Atique Choudhury has added spice to the culinary delights
of Stoke Newington for well over a decade. We wanted to take a look at the background of
the owner of Yum Yum and this month's Stoke Newington Personality.
 We meet over dinner. An elaborate platter of authentic green
curries, noodles and bites arrives. The food is exquisite, the atmosphere relaxed yet
formal. Established in 1992, Yum Yum has gained a formidable reputation among Stoke
Newington's connoisseurs of cuisine as well as internationally.
But Atique, the owner who greets his customers with a welcoming smile, has given more to
the community than good food. He has been nominated Oriental Chef of the Year (1996) by
the British Meat and Livestock Commission. Yum Yum staff can also boast the Hackney
Chamber of Commerce award for the best service in business, as well as a collection of
favourable reviews in the national press.
As well as running a successful restaurant, Atique promotes Thai cuisine on the national
scene. The day we met he received confirmation that the government have granted £550,000
to establish an Asian and Oriental School of Catering . The school will enable experienced
chefs to gain formal qualifications as well as providing training facilities for more
junior restaurant staff. As an Asian version of the Butler's Wharf School, the college
will cater for Indian, Chinese, Malay as well as Thai cuisines.
Between 200-300 students will cook for and serve the public in a fully functioning
restaurant, gaining valuable experience and raising revenue. This will provide young
Asians some of whom could face unemployment with training in a field in which they may
have family connections. Although the exact location of the school has not been decided,
Atique will argue that it should be in Hackney.
Locally, Atique pioneered the Stoke Newington Restaurant Watch. The first of its kind in
Britain, the scheme was based on the more usual pub watch arrangement that had
successfully reduced crime against customers. By coming together and working closely with
the police, producing leaflets and posters, restaurant owners were able to tackle an
increasing problem.
He does occasionally find time to venture outside the restaurant business. As a business
governor at Thomas Abney School, he used his knowledge and experience to help improve
educational standards in the area. He told me that he found that the bad reputation of
many schools in Hackney is undeserved . Working within the budgets they are allocated and
with limited facilities they do very well.
The restaurant's advertising budget is also used to make a contribution to the community.
Atique makes donations to schools, play groups and charity in many ways. He also played a
key role in the Stoke Newington Midsummer Festival.
It is this interaction between business and community that makes Yum Yum so vibrant. By
opening one of Stoke Newington's most innovative establishments, Atique has given much to
the area. He says that the people at Yum Yum feel that they are a strong part of a much
changed community. Part of the reason the area has developed is the bold changes made by
shops and restaurants. Atique took a decision to make the place look jazzy and inviting
from the outside.
I asked him why he came to Stoke Newington in 1984. He said it had the right feel in terms
of the type of businesses that were already here, the kind of layout and the people who
were around. It was a small, low key area but it had potential. Originally he owned a
restaurant serving Southern Indian vegetarian food but later changed to Thai cuisine
because he liked the quality of service, the authenticity of the dishes and the
presentation of the food. |
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