Aagrah News
Aagrah Restaurant & Midpoint Suite – Opening Autumn 2008 First Asian purpose built conference and banquet suite in Yorkshire
Re location of our Pudsey site to a purpose built 20,000 sq foot building is due to take place in late autumn of this year.
Situated within 1.6 acres, the building will house a ground floor restaurant for 275 covers and a first floor Banqueting Suite for 420 guests! Exterior landscaping will featuring a Mughal garden with specially imported paving stones from India, car parking for 100 cars and the permanent home of the Aagrah Mascot Lulu the Elephant.
The restaurant, which will be largest in the Aagrah Group will be unique in design and will feature a unique entity which will be the first to be seen in ANY ASIAN RESTAUARANT IN THE UK! Watch this space for more information!
During the summer months, al-fresco dining and an outside grill cooking area with its own dedicated team of chefs will allow you to taste the delights of Aagrah cuisine in a relaxed dining area.
The Midpoint suite on the first floor will have its own dedicated lounge and bar area, a private VIP room with Balcony and a separate fully equipped Banqueting Kitchen. With a full music system, LED lighting and no fixed place for the dance floor or stage The Midpoint Suite can be configured exactly to your requirements and you can be assured that each function be unique in look and feel!
Café Aagrah – Opening Summer 2008
Clarence Docks Leeds will host the VERY FIRST CAFÉ AAGRAH.
Featuring a Central Theatre Kitchen and a fusion of Multi Cuisine served in a fast casual environment. With a dedicated bar and separate cocktail menu Café Aagrah will bring a chic and trendy café concept to Leeds with the same quality professionalism and service that is renowned within the Aagrah Group.
The interior will offer freshness with hints of hot vibrant colours inviting you in to taste the delights that Café Aagrah will offer. During the summer months, al-fresco dining will allow diners to eat outside, so whether you want a quick lunch, or a leisurely afternoon snack, a place to meet your friends and family or a full evening dinner; Café Aagrah will be the place to be seen in!
Aagrah Opens in SHEFFIELD
Sunday 2nd December saw the opening gala for the newest addition to the Group. Situated in Leopold Square in the true heart of Sheffield City Centre, the 200 seat capacity restaurant was finally unveiled to the 300 invited guests. Richly decorated in Hughes of black and orange, guests were treated to a champagne reception, and a lavish buffet of mouth watering Aagrah delights.
The Lord Mayor of Sheffield unveiled the official opening plaque and thanked the group for involving him in the evenings proceedings. Mohammed Aslam officially thanked the guests, his staff and the team who worked day and night to finish the restaurant!. Entertainment was provided by traditional Punjabi Dancers and Dhol Players, who helped to announce that Aagrah is well and truly here!!
£15,000 donation to Leeds Mencap
Mohammed Aslam and Noorie Sabir presented a cheque for £15,000 to Leeds Mencap. Kate Grimshaw, Fundraiser for Leeds Mencap commented on how delighted the centre was for the donation. The funds donated by Aagrah will be used to re develop the entire sensory room.
25th Charity Dinner &
30th Birthday Party
On Friday 19th October, 400 guests attended the 25th Annual Dinner held at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford. The evening was also a celebration to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Group. Attended by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, distinguished guests and patrons of Aagrah, guests enjoyed a lavish reception and a four course dinner prepared by the Aagrah Chefs. The evening also hosted the Awards ceremony for the 3rd South Asian Chef Competition (SACC), with the final heat being held during the day at Leeds Thomas Danby College. The winner for 2008 was Stephen Duffy who represented Wales.
Guests were also treated to post party games, which included a giant 8 lane scalectrix, batak and the Funfair Derby!..The fun and games lasted well into the night.
The total raised through sponsorship, ticket sales and the proceedings from the evening was £51,000. The main beneficiary for the evening was Leeds Mencap and other benefactors were Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital and Bolling Special School.
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New Restaurant Menu Now in Operation
We are pleased to announce a new restaurant menu is now in operation at all Aagrah Restaurant branches. New takeout menus are available at branches of the Aagrah Restaurants. Please click on icon to view our new takeout restaurant menu.
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Cookery Demonstrations 2007 By Mohammed Aslam, Executive Chef & Managing Director
The award winning Aagrah Group of Restaurants has been offering fine Kashmiri cuisine of the very highest standard for over 30 years. We are pleased to announce the dates of our 2007 series of cookery demonstrations in association with Yorkshire Post Newspapers and Tiger Beer UK Ltd.
The cost of the 2007 series of demonstrations is £26.00 pp, with the option of buying a signed copy of Mohammed Aslam’s book “Hand over Fist” at £10.00 on the day of the demonstration. For those who wish to book seats for the demonstration and order advance copies of the book then the books can be ordered at just £8.00 per copy, in advance of each event.
The price includes a reception drink, the demonstration, 2-course meal and mineral water with the meal and recipe leaflets. A cash bar service will be available for those wishing to purchase other drinks. The events start at 1pm and finish between 3.00pm and 3.30pm. This year’s dates are:
Doncaster – Sunday 11 March
Garforth – Sunday 09 September
Shipley (Grill) – Sunday 15 April
Leeds City – Sunday 14 October
Wakefield – Sunday 13 May
Denby Dale – Sunday 11 November
To book simply click the link below to download a printable coupon, please complete and send with a cheque/postal order payable to YPN Ltd and send to: Choices, Aagrah Demo, Yorkshire Post Newspapers, PO Box 168, Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 1RF. To book by credit or debit card, call 0113 2388511 (9.00-5.00 Mon-Fri).
Please note there is a standard cancellation charge of 25% and any refund is at the discretion of Yorkshire Post Newspapers. This demonstration is subject to minimum numbers.
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British Curry Awards "Best Restaurant Group"
On Sunday 17 September Aagrah Group was awarded “Best Restaurant Group in the UK” at the glittering black-tie British Curry Awards, held in front of 1,200 guests, at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane. The event was hosted by Alastair Stewart OBE.
Aagrah was amongst a shortlist of 100, from over 2,800 nominated restaurants throughout the UK. This annual event, managed by Spice Business Magazine, relies on votes from members of the public; over 20,000 such nominations were received this year.
The awards are open to all restaurants primarily serving Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Nepalese and modern “Indian fusion” cuisine.
24th Charity Dinner Dance & SACC Awards 2006
The Aagrah Restaurants have the pleasure in inviting you to our Annual Charity Dinner Dance, to be held at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford. The event will also host the second South Asian Chef Competition (SACC) Awards Ceremony. With your generosity and support last year we raised our highest ever total, £50,000. This year we aim to beat that record. Tickets are priced at £60 per person, which includes a champagne reception and a lavish Four Course Dinner provided by the Aagrah Group. The nominated beneficiaries for this year are: Hospitality Action Benevolent Organisation; Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital; and Bolling Special School.
You may be aware Yorkshire has been successful in its bid to host the Bollywood equivalent of the Oscars, The Internation Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) in June 2007. The event which has previously been held in Singapore, Amsterdam and Dubai beat off stiff competition from New York to take the honours. Celebrating this success, our event is going to incoraporate a Bollywood theme.
SACC is a leading national competitions dedicated to recognising and awarding excellence in South Asian cuisine. Six regional winners representing England North, England South, Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will take part in the grand final on 3rd November, with the winner being announced at the dinner. The competition has grown tremendously since its launch, due to coverage of the competition throughout the year with our media partner Tandoori Magazine.
For booking or for further enquiries, please contact the Head Office on 01273 530880 and ask to speak to Safena Sabir.
I do hope that you are able to join our celebrations and fund raising at this exciting event.
Aagrah Garforth Re-Launches!
Sunday 9th July saw the official opening of the recently refurbished Garforth branch following a complete makeover of the kitchens and restaurant.
During the closure, a skilled creative design team moved in and transformed the traditional look to a modern Kashmiri interior with the subtle use of dark wood, pastel shades and "objet d'art".
Monday 10th July sees the opening to the general public after yesterday's party attended by over 200 guests which included the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Mohammed Iqbal and our close friend Sir Geoffrey Boycott, who with his wife Rachel were entertained to lunch and thereby became the very first diners in the new stylish restaurant. Traditional musicians and dancers graced the car park, whilst dodging the rain drops in front of "Lulu", the Aagrah elephant mascot.
The full Aagrah a la carte menu continues to be served at Garforth. From 10th July, customers will also be able to personally select their favourite fish from a mouth-watering "fruits of the sea" display.
Mohammed Aslam and his team of chefs have devised a range of delicate sauces and marinades, with influences from cuisines of Goa, Kashmir and Sindh. Customers will be able to select their fish and then have this personally cooked and served at the table.
To book at Garforth please call 0113 287 6606.
Westgate Closure
From 24th July 2006, The Westgate Restaurant will be re-intergrated with main Saltaire Road, Shipley branch. All business will be transferred to the main Shipley site.
We apologise for the inconvenience.
Aagrah sponsors Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Multi award-winning restaurant group, Aagrah have become the official restaurant group of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The two year sponsorship deal was announced on Tuesday 27th June at Yorkshire's first Twenty/20 match of the season against Durham, where Aagrah's mascot Lulu (a life size model of an Indian Elephant) turned up at Headingley for a photocall with the Yorkshire's finest.
Mohammed Aslam, Managing Director of the Aagrah Group said:
"We are delighted to have become the Yorkshire County Cricket Club's "Official Restaurant Group".
"The game of cricket has a tremendous following here in the UK, in my homeland, and throughout the south Asian Continent - dare I say we play the game with great skill and confidence! I am naturally looking forward to watching Yorkshire play over the seasons to come, and of course the forthcoming Test Match in August".
"I firmly believe that sport is the key to a truly multi-cultural society. Team games, like cricket, create bonds and lifelong friendships leading to mutual understanding in a world which too often focuses on the negative".
"on behalf of Aagrah I wish Yorkshire County Cricket Club my very best wishes for their future success".
Stewart Regan, Chief Executive of The Yorkshire County Cricket Club said:
"The Yorkshire County Cricket Club are delighted to have entered into a commercial arrangement with the Aagrah Group of Restaurants. The company have built up a very successful business over the past 29 years and have developed a strong reputation for the quality of their food and their excellent service. The club are very keen to forge stronger links with the Asian community and the relationship with Aagrah Group is a positive step along this path".
South Asian Earthquake Appeal Update
A staggering £42,000 was quickly raised and sent to the the region stricken by the Easthquake last year. Since then, a further £22,500 has been kindly donated by our customers.
The Jannat Welfare International Trust is now channelling its funds through the Pakistan Red Crescent. With the expertise and knowledge of the Red Crescent, we can be sure that the funds are reaching the right areas and the right people.
The funds will be used to finance the rebuilding of the infrastructure such as building new classrooms and hospital rooms. If you are able to sponsor a classroom or hospital room, whether as a company, family or individual, it will then be named in your honour.
For further information please contact our Head Office on 01274 530880.
Your help is still needed. We are still accepting donations for the appeal. You can make a donation by one of the following means:
• A donation of cash or cheques (payable to Jannat Welfare Trust) in the box situated at anyone of the ten Aagrah branches throughout Yorkshire.
• Call 01274 530 880 during normal office hours or transfer funds direct via either of the following two bank accounts:
UK Bank – HSBC. Jannat Welfare International Account
Account number: 70010979
Sort code: 40-13-40
Pakistan – National Bank of Pakistan, Mirpur branch AK
Jannat Welfare Trust Account
Account number: 4180/4
Sort code: 1861
Your kind support is vital so please give generously. On behalf of Jannat Welfare International Trust we thank you.
Mohammed Sabir - New Year Honours List 2006
Aagrah Group of Restaurants is truly proud to announce that our Founder & Chairman, Mohmmed Sabir was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours, bestowed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
This is tuly deserved and was awarded in recognition of his tireless efforts in raising funds and helping various charities, for over 25 years, both in the UK and overseas, including funds directed recently to the Pacific Tsunami and the Earthquake in South Asia.
Hand Over Fist - The Aagrah Cookbook Out Now!
We are pleased to announce that the "Hand Over Fist - The Aagrah Cookbook" is now available to buy at all Aagrah Restaurants.
This is no ordinary cookbook. It tells the story of the Aagrah Restaurants, through humble beginnings to the thriving business we are today. It comments on the various qualities we have needed to succeed as a business and also contains mouth-watering Aagrah recipes!
The book is available at all Aagrah branches for just £9.95 each or for £12.50 if you order the book by telephone (including postage & packaging).
If you would like to order a book by telephone or require further information, please contact the Head Office on 01274 530880.