Babul Akhtar migrated to the United Kingdom from Bangladesh in 1986 with his parents and siblings. His Dad worked as a Chef in the Sportsman Casino in London and his mother was a housewife. Babul studied at Sir William Collins Secondary School in Camden, London where he met with other Bangladeshi people in his year. He completed his GCSEs in 1990. He went to North London College to do a diploma in Electronic Engineering.
Babul started his career working in Indian restaurants from a very early age which gave him a good understanding of the restaurant business. In 1995, he along with his uncle opened their first restaurant in Surrey. From there, he moved on to invest in the Hotel Industry in Bangladesh in 2007.
In 2017, he took over the Olive Limes Restaurant in Tring, Hertfordshire which he is currently running.
In March 2019, he opened another exclusive restaurant in Bangladesh known as the Platinum Lounge in Sylhet with a group of other British Bangladeshi friends and restaurant traders. He believes strongly in giving something back to the people of his country of origin.
Babul lives with his son and daughter in London. He enjoys travelling and trying different cuisines, as well as cooking, cinema and meeting people in his free time.
1 hich place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
London is home for me because I have spent all my life here since the age of eleven. London to me is the greatest city on earth.
2 What are your proudest achievements?
My proudest achievements would be opening high quality restaurants in the United Kingdom and Bangladesh. We have won many competitions and International Awards for these restaurants and it is always a proud moment to be rewarded for all our efforts.
3 What inspires you?
I have always had a craving or challenge to do things right. Customer satisfaction drives me in my business, and I find myself constantly striving to improve things.
My family, I am one of 5 siblings (brothers and sisters), have always been the main pillars in my life. I believe in family values.
4 What has been biggest obstacle in your career?
The Recession that affected the economy, has had a massive impact on the curry industry forcing many restaurants to shut down in recent years. Getting migrant skilled staff has also had an impact on the restaurant business causing businesses to shut down and venture into other alternatives.
5 Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
My uncle, one of the former Chefs at the Red Fort Restaurant in London, Abul Kalam has had the biggest influence on my career. He was my first restaurant business partner in Surrey that helped me step foot in the Curry Industry, from whom I have learnt a lot about the business.
6 What is the best aspect about your current role?
We are an upmarket restaurant Olive Limes in Tring, Hertfordshire, and the customers have certain expectations, which we are able to meet on a regular basis. This continuous feedback is our pride that drives us to do better.
7 And the worst?
Shortage of skilled staff and having to repeatedly train new staff, which takes a lot of time and effort.
8 What are your long-term goals?
To continue to sustain all of my businesses in the United Kingdom and Bangladesh to an exceptionally high standard.
9 If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
Increase funding to emergency services and the NHS so they can operate smoothly like they used to. This will help to shorten the waiting times and cancellations in NHS services and better consistency throughout NHS Services, which affects a lot of people all over the United Kingdom. I recently had a stent put on and I voluntarily joined a medical study just to be able to bypass the waiting times.
10 If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why.
I don’t really want to be marooned on a desert island!
