insideKENT Magazine Issue 89 - August 2019 | Page 168

BUSINESS
Business Profile:
SHAMPAN
THE AWARD-WINNING
INDIAN RESTAURANT GROUP
30 YEARS SINCE SHAMPAN BROMLEY FIRST OPENED,
THE COMPANY HAS BEEN ON AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
AND THE SHAMPAN BRAND HAS TRULY EXCELLED.
WHAT STARTED OFF AS A SMALL 36-SEATER
RESTAURANT KNOWN AS SHAMPAN 1, IS NOW A CHAIN
OF RESTAURANTS CAPABLE OF SEATING MORE THAN
470 GUESTS IN TOTAL. IMPRESSIVELY, SHAMPAN HAS
WON NUMEROUS PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS WITHIN THE
INDIAN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, WINNING THE BRITISH
CURRY AWARDS SEVEN YEARS IN A ROW. ADDITIONALLY,
SHAMPAN HAS WON MULTIPLE AWARDS WITHIN THE
LOCAL BOROUGHS INCLUDING A BROMLEY BUSINESS
AWARD IN 2018. SUCH AWARDS AND ACCOLADES ARE
JUST ONE REASON WHY SHAMPAN CONTINUES TO
THRIVE AND BECOME A HOUSEHOLD NAME ACROSS
SOUTH EAST LONDON AND BEYOND.
You have such a varied menu, what would
you say is your signature dish?
Shampan’s two delicious signature dishes are
Hyderabadi spiced lamb shank and Kerala spiced
king prawns. The Hyderabadi spiced lamb shank,
served with roasted root vegetables and pilau rice,
is a slow-cooked Kentish lamb shank marinated in
a beautiful blend of turmeric, yoghurt, toasted garlic
and ground spices. The Kerala spiced king prawns
consists of exquisite king prawns, curry leaf, coconut
sauce and coconut rice. Both dishes are very different,
but have become extremely popular in all three
branches of Shampan.
In a competitive market, what sets Shampan
aside from others?
While Shampan continues to shine in a competitive
market, this has not been without barriers and
challenges including surviving two major UK
recessions, one crucial referendum and a tough
staffing crisis. Despite these setbacks, the Shampan
brand has remained successful; what sets Shampan
apart is that the brand is always evolving and
diversifying based on the needs and wants of loyal
clientele. Furthermore, Shampan is very
professionally run, but welcoming to guests with a
recognisable staff uniform worn throughout the
branches and a consistently excellent menu that’s
full of choice.
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What has been your proudest achievement?
Opening Shampan at the Spinning Wheel, which
gave us the perfect platform to be recognised in the
Indian hospitality industry throughout the country.
In addition, the restaurant set its own blueprint
and raised the bar to a level that people are still
today striving to achieve. Many people forget
that when Shampan at the Spinning Wheel was
opened, England was going through a recession but
that never stopped us in our stride – as a brand,
Shampan knows no limits and always aims to
improve and expand.
Tell us more about The Shampan
Foundation.
The Shampan Foundation is a registered charity
based in both the UK and Sylhet, Bangladesh, that
aims to use education and sports for social change.
The Shampan Foundation was established in 2011
and continues to provide otherwise inaccessible
opportunities to young children, for instance, in girls'
sports development. The role that the Shampan
Foundation plays in Bangladesh, a largely
underdeveloped economy, is rather crucial because
it is able to cultivate a more knowledgeable
community and positively influence young children
by providing them with the chance to break
the vicious cycle of poverty. It is my hope that
the Shampan Foundation continues to grow and
become an integral part of more underprivileged
children’s lives.
What do the next five years hold
for Shampan?
We always hope to take each year as it comes in this
difficult market and economic climate, and not get
too ahead of ourselves. One thing we know for sure
is that we have to be creative, innovative and diverse
as the Indian hospitality industry has dramatically
transformed in these past decades. But within our
vision, we will be looking to expand the Shampan
brand in different avenues; there is even the
possibility that the Shampan brand will expand
internationally…watch this space.
https://shampan-group.com