Abdul Latif (restaurateur)
Encyclopedia
Abdul Latif, FRSA was a British
restaurateur
of Bangladesh
i origin. He was well-known for his dish "Curry Hell" — a curry
reputedly so hot (Latif claimed it was "the world's hottest") that it was offered for free to patrons of his Newcastle
restaurant who could finish the entire meal.
in East Pakistan
(now Bangladesh
). He arrived to the UK in 1969 and settled in Manchester
, however after a racist incident during a night, it persuaded Latif to move north to Newcastle. Abdul Latif was married to Neawarun, with four daughters and two sons. In 1977 he established his restaurant, the Rupali, in the city centre of Newcastle. The restaurant was later renamed Curry Capital.
Latif had a keen eye for such publicity stunts. He also offered free curry for five years to all service men and women who had served in Iraq
, and free curry for life to rugby star Jonny Wilkinson
and football manager Graeme Souness
. His restaurant is also listed in Guinness World Records
in 2004, for the world's longest-distance curry delivery — when he delivered frozen vegetable biryani and peshwari naan bread from Newcastle
, England
to Sydney
, Australia
. He featured regularly in the cult adult comic Viz
, providing the staff with free curries and relishing the publicity, despite their portrayal of him as a "curry mentalist".
Latif purchased the deed to the honorary title of the Lord of Harpole for £5,000, and proudly branded himself as Britain's first Bangladeshi Lord of the Manor
. He ran a website called The New Lord, where he offered souvenir merchandise, seasonal messages to his fans, publicity services and a motivational DVD. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts in 2003 for "his efforts to make a difference in society".
Latif died of a heart attack at his home in Newcastle's Gosforth
area on January 20, 2008. A well-attended memorial event was held at Newcastle Civic Centre
on March 2, 2008.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
restaurateur
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i origin. He was well-known for his dish "Curry Hell" — a curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
reputedly so hot (Latif claimed it was "the world's hottest") that it was offered for free to patrons of his Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
restaurant who could finish the entire meal.
Biography
Abdul Latif was born in 1954 near the city of SylhetSylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
in East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
(now Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
). He arrived to the UK in 1969 and settled in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, however after a racist incident during a night, it persuaded Latif to move north to Newcastle. Abdul Latif was married to Neawarun, with four daughters and two sons. In 1977 he established his restaurant, the Rupali, in the city centre of Newcastle. The restaurant was later renamed Curry Capital.
Latif had a keen eye for such publicity stunts. He also offered free curry for five years to all service men and women who had served in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and free curry for life to rugby star Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
and football manager Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
. His restaurant is also listed in Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
in 2004, for the world's longest-distance curry delivery — when he delivered frozen vegetable biryani and peshwari naan bread from Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He featured regularly in the cult adult comic Viz
Viz (comic)
Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...
, providing the staff with free curries and relishing the publicity, despite their portrayal of him as a "curry mentalist".
Latif purchased the deed to the honorary title of the Lord of Harpole for £5,000, and proudly branded himself as Britain's first Bangladeshi Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
. He ran a website called The New Lord, where he offered souvenir merchandise, seasonal messages to his fans, publicity services and a motivational DVD. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts in 2003 for "his efforts to make a difference in society".
Latif died of a heart attack at his home in Newcastle's Gosforth
Gosforth
Gosforth is an area of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, to the north of the city centre. Gosforth constituted an urban district from 1895 to 1974, when it became part of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. It has a population of 23,620...
area on January 20, 2008. A well-attended memorial event was held at Newcastle Civic Centre
Newcastle Civic Centre
Newcastle Civic Centre is a civic centre located in the Haymarket area of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the main administrative and ceremonial centre for Newcastle City Council. Designed by the city architect, George Kenyon, the building was completed in 1967 and was formally opened by HM...
on March 2, 2008.