The name Haji Baji is a tribute to my great grandfather Haji Sir Ismail Sait who was an influential figure in India during the British rule and a great philanthropist. The hospitals, mosques and roads he built are still in evidence in India today.

In 2004, with the unwavering support of a very good friend, I took the brave step of fulfilling an ambition my parents had harboured for years; that of introducing their wonderful home style Indian Cuisine to the public.

 

I took a six-month career break and started to research the unknown territory of the catering world. There was much to learn but two weeks into my career break I had navigated my way around the legislative requirements and had somewhat nervously approached the owner of The Goods Shed in Canterbury. We were ready to go!

 

Our first encounter with a real life customer will be etched on our brains forever more, how our hands shook as we carefully toasted our very first pitta bread and tentatively spooned our home made curry into its trembling pocket! The concept of serving our curries in bread at festivals fitted in beautifully with the philosophy behind our business venture, Indian Street Vendor Style food with all the colour, drama and theatre associated with this fascinating and enigmatic country.

 

Three years on and we are going from strength to strength. It has at times been an extremely gruelling and arduous journey but the wonderful response of our customers has more than made up for this.

 

From small farmers markets we have progressed to trading at prestigious events such as the summer night’s concerts at Leeds Castle and Lounge on the farm. The queues have at time been overwhelming and our feet have positively ached but our customers have always taken the time to shake out hands and express their enjoyment both of our food and the ambiance we had created.

This year we received a special thank you from the organisers of Catsfield Point To Point; as a result of presence at this event their evening was mentioned in The Horse And Hound under the category ‘Best Food Vendors’!

In 2007 we have been extremely busy catering for small private parties, weddings and corporate events. Anything from surprise birthday parties to the launch of a new Renault car. We have loved every minute of it. Making someone’s special day truly memorable gives us a terrific sense of well-being and it is definitely so much more than just a means to making a living.

We are available for private, corporate parties, weddings and festivals. Please call Sharon Bates on 07793401440.