Curry house where Rishi Sunak worked in 'difficult' times due to cost of living

04 January 2023 , 11:43

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Kuti Miah is the owner of the Indian restaurant, Kuti's Brasserie, where Rishi Sunak used to do shifts as a waiter (Image: Solent News & Photo Agency)

The curry house business where Rishi Sunak worked as a teenager been placed into jeopardy by the cost of living crisis.

The Prime Minister's old boss at Indian restaurant, Kuti's Brasserie, has announced that company behind his restaurant business has gone into liquidation.

Filings from Companies House show that the umbrella firm behind the Grade II-listed Royal Pier gatehouse restaurant in Southampton, Hampshire, owes more than £840,000 to creditors.

However, Kuti Miah, 62, says that the award-winning eatery will still will remain trading, but admits that rising inflation has made times 'very difficult'.

Mr Miah, 62, has known the 42-year-old Prime Minister since he was two years old, and as a teenager Sunak did unpaid shifts as a waiter at the brasserie 'just for fun'.

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Rishi Sunak's old boss at an Indian restaurant has announced his business has gone into liquidation (David Clarke/Solent News)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used to wait tables at the restaurant before he went on to study PPE at the University of Oxford (Getty Images)

According to Mr Miah, the Winchester College pupil was excellent at clearing tables, never dropped any plates, and was an expert at adding up customers' bills.

However, now the company behind Kuti's Brasserie - Joytun Bari Ltd, of which Mr Miah is a director - has been put into voluntary liquidation.

In fact, filings show that Joytun Bari Ltd owes £338,214.04 to HMRC, as well as more than £270,000 to Mr Miah himself, £40,000 to Southampton City Council and £40,000 to Barclays Bank.

Imran Brothers Ltd of Poole, Dorset, is owed £46,000, while Khosla Wines of Hayes is owed £34,000.

Kuti's Brasserie has gone on to win many awards (David Clarke/Solent News)

And, Asiatic Limited of Barking in Essex is due £20,000, Euro Foods in South Wales £34,600 and Gandhi Oriental Foods of Barking is owed £13,000.

Speaking about how the situation has affected him, Mr Miah has revealed that it has not been "easy", but he will continue to remain positive.

While speaking about the financial difficulties the restaurant has faced, the 62-year-old said that it will still remain open, and people can still eat at there as he "loves his customers like family".

The company behind the restaurant in Southampton, Hants, owes more than £840,000 to creditors (David Clarke/Solent News)

Mr Miah said: "It's not easy to survive these things.

"I have been surviving for generations.

"The restaurant will remain open, people can still come and eat with us.

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"I have worked hard for 43 years, and now we are in a global crisis."

He added that the cost of living crisis is "very difficult", saying: "These are very, very difficult times, but I remain a positive person."

Mr Miah said Kuti's Brasserie will nevertheless remain open and in business, though Joytun Bari is due to be wound up voluntarily.

The restaurant has scooped a number of national awards, including being named Best Spice Restaurant in the British Curry Awards.

Milica Cosic