26 January 2023
New restaurant will benefit village
A RESTAURANT owner who has worked his way up from waiting tables has opened his latest eatery in Knaphill.
Two years ago, Altaf Ahmed opened Spice Tavern in Newdigate, near Dorking. It has been so successful that he has been able to open The Grand Taj in the former Forbidden City Chinese restaurant premises on Broadway.
He started work as a waiter in 1985 in Croydon and the Isle of Wight and also gained experience in the kitchen.
“I worked with a number of high-quality chefs and learnt from them, becoming a chef myself and then a manager,” Altaf said.
In 1996, he opened his own restaurant in Ashford, Kent, but decided he needed more experience so he sold it and worked in management in Guernsey and then East Grinstead before opening the restaurant near his home in Dorking.
The expansion into Knaphill came after Altaf visited the village about six months ago. “I noticed that there was nothing similar to my restaurant and thought that Knaphill is a really nice village and a new restaurant would be a benefit to the local people,” he said.
Altaf has left a team to run Spice Tavern while he concentrates on The Grand Taj, where he has help from his wife, Koly Akter, who has worked as a waitress and in front of house.
The couple and their eight-year-old son are planning to make Knaphill their home.
“I would like to move to Knaphill as it is really nice here,” Altaf said.
“I love this village.”
Credit: Woking News and Mail
