Which is first Indian restaurant in England? It was started by man from…, name of restaurant is…
Nowadays, good Indian cuisine is available at plenty of restaurants in London, yet very few people know about the man who went to London from Patna, Bihar, and opened the first Indian restaurant there, a whopping 215 years ago! Who was this man? He was none other than Patna’s Sake-Din-Mohammad.
The website of Brighton and Hove Museum, (brightonmuseums.org.uk) says Sake-Din-Mohammed opened a restaurant named ‘Hindoostane Coffee House’ near Portman Square in London, which served Indian cuisine. It was Britain’s first Indian restaurant, and was established in 1810.
Who was Sake-Din-Mohammed?
Born in 1759, and hailing from a Muslim family based in India’s Patna, Mohammed began his career in the army of the British East India Company, and served until 1782. Afterwards, he moved to Ireland with his friend. He met a local woman there, Jane Daly, whom he married shortly after.
How did he conceive the idea of first Indian restaurant in London?
The couple reached England, where he planned on doing something new to earn a livelihood. This was not a big problem, as he could use one of his many skills to set up a business and earn well. He got a rather unique idea-to serve Indian cuisine in London, and opened England’s first Indian restaurant named ‘Hindustan Coffee House’ in 1810.
Unfortunately, his restaurant was too ahead of its time, couldn’t flourish, and fell into trouble.
But, the restaurant not being successful did not demotivate him, he rather moved to Brighton in 1814, where he gained much more success.
During the time sea bathing was extremely popular in the area, he was the one who opened an indoor bath in Pool Valley at the beach. Here, the first vapour bath centre which provided hot water and steam baths using Indian herbs and medicines was opened. This can be considered the first spa of the early days.
At that time, his innovative ideas and their creative implementation helped him bring a revolution in the wellness sector.
In Mohammed’s bathhouse, people were able to take a hot bath in the sea water which was brought in using pipes and was heated. This became quite popular due to the weather of Britain being extremely chilling.
How was he the pioneer of many new ideas?
Not only the restaurant and the bathhouse, but Sake is also considered the inventor of shampoo. Shocking? He also brought Ayurvedic medicines and many treatments from India, starting a type of aromatherapy massage that involved shampooing with Indian oils, and began the spa experience.
Sake-Din-Mohammed was the first Indian to write a book in English, which he published in the year 1794. It was named ‘The Travels of Dean Mohammed’, marking him as the first Indian writer to publish in English.
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