Bristol Living Oct - Nov 2023

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AKTAR ISLAM Unleashed Sally Thomson caught up with the Michelin starred chef to discuss inspiration, teamwork and hospitality after Covid... When I read your website the first thing that struck me was your strapline, ‘Opheem is just me, Unleashed’. Would you like to tell us more? Well, over the years I’ve always worked with other people. For example, in my last business, everyone had a say on how the food was presented. For example, you’d put a dish together and in its initial conceptual stage to where it ended up was far removed from what it was supposed to be. I understand the unleash bit on your website - now you’re being totally yourself? I am lucky to do what I enjoy. The only thing that I’m constrained by is the produce that I’ve got access to, whatever is coming out of the land, whatever is coming out of our seas. And the seasons. I’ve always worked with seasons and, it’s just natural for me to cook. What was it like when you received your Michelin star? Obviously, it’s an incredible experience to achieve such an award. It was lovely, incredible to achieve it a year after I set up Opheem especially after the years of constraints that I’ve experienced. I’m very proud of my team. I’m proud of everyone within the business. Because though I set the vision, the direction, we’re all in the boat together and we’re all rowing that boat together. When the waters are choppy we all have to experience that together. It’s the power of the team. Covid was a really difficult time for the hospitality industry - how did you navigate that time? We started Aktar at Home, but that became something much bigger than I expected. With Aktar at Home, it’s all about investing in the community and creating jobs - much of the time for people that lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. There are teams who are in the portioning and the packing team and the processing team. They’re all people who are from the inner city of Birmingham, you know, aged 25 and below who traditionally struggled to find employment. So, we give them a chance and an opportunity to join the team and develop within the team. And obviously they’re paid well above national living wage to make sure it gives them a start in life. The other thing that we did last year, was give away 6,000 care packages for people who were struggling to feed their families. We just asked people in the communities to nominate people within their community that they know are struggling to feed themselves or feed their kids. Just to get in touch, let us know, and we just sent a box out to them. I wanted to ask you about the name of your restaurant. Where does that come from? “I’ve always worked with seasons and, it’s just natural for me to cook” It was inspired by a region that was known as Mandu, but it’s a Sultan of Mandu, a guy called Giyath Shahi. He was an epicure in the late 1300s. He enjoyed the nicer things in life and there’s a particular manuscript that he wrote or commissioned, which concentrated on recipes from the time and his life. And something that he enjoyed was opium! So, Opheem ia a play on the word opium, but it’s more based on the understanding, it’s a sensory indulgence and that’s what his life was built around. Sensory indulgence, I love that. Do you ever visit India so you can go to the places which inspired you? I used to spend a lot of time in India. I’d spend a month or so there every year. At least three weeks just travelling and eating and documenting recipes and understanding the culture. It’s really inspirational - then towards the end of your trip, you always miss a roast dinner! There’s nothing like a Yorkshire pudding. By the end of it all you want is to come home and have a lovely roast dinner. You can find out more about Opheem at opheem.com and Aktar at Home at aktarathome.co.uk 10 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk
F R ESHLY MADE COCKTAILS GREAT SELECTION OF WINES Christmas at LOCAL BEERS & CASK ALES LIVE SPORT LOCALLY SOURCED BRITISH DISHES F R ESHLY MADE COCKTAILS GREAT SELECTION OF WINES THE BESPOKE ROYAL PARTIES & FUNCTIONS OAK LOCAL BEERS & CASK ALES BESPOKE PARTIES & FUNCTIONS We are now taking bookings for LIVE SPORT Christmas, and if you book with us before October 31st, you will receive a complimentary LOCALLY glass of prosecco SOURCED with BRITISH DISHES your Christmas meal. F R ESHLY MADE COCKTAILS Are you looking for the perfect venue to host your private function or party? Look no further! Here GREAT at The SELECTION Royal OF WINES Oak, we offer free room hire. LOCAL BEERS & CASK ALES 50 THE MALL, CLIFTON LIVE SPORT | LOCALLY SOURCED BRITISH DISHES BESPOKE FRESHLY PARTIES MADE COCKTAILS & FUNCTIONS T E L 0 117 4 7 2 377 0 GREAT SELECTION OF WINES | LOCAL BEERS & CASK ALES BESPOKE PARTIES & FUNCTIONS 50 THE MALL, CLIFTON WWW. C L I F TONR OYAL OAK. COM T E L 0 117 4 7 2 377 0 WWW. C L I F TONR OYAL OAK. COM 50 THE MALL, CLIFTON Tel: 07854239926 info@cliftonwineschool.com T E L 0 117 4 7 2 377 0 Vale House Kitchen is a bespoke country skills and cookery school situated in the village of Timsbury 8 miles south west of Bath. We offer all the traditional courses you would expect from a cookery school but have the added dimension of teaching skills such as fishing, shooting, foraging and butchery. 22nd October - Introduction to Foraging 11th November - Lamb Butchery and Cookery 18th November - Festive Bread Course WWW. C L I F TONR OYAL OAK. COM A very warm welcome to C lifton Wine School! We are a local wine school hosting events in Bristol at the Hotel du Vin. Choose from our Cheese and Wine Matching night, a Fine Wine tasting, Wines of the World evening courses, Steak and Red Wine night, and so much more. We also do unforgettable hen parties and corporate events. We don’t sell wine, we give you confidence to choose the best wines for yourself. You can purchase any course or tasting as a Wine School Gift Voucher starting from £30 the perfect present for any wine lovers! Tastings, courses and events now also available online. www.localwineschool.com/bristol www.minervamagazines.co.uk | 11
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Page 14 and 15: BEAUTIFUL Baking We sample some del
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Bristol Living Oct - Nov 2023

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