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Curry chefs in a pickle

2:24pm Tuesday 19th February 2008

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CURRY houses in High Wycombe are struggling to fill their kitchens with top quality chefs because of strict immigration laws.

Monsur Sumon, who has been manager at Radhuni Indian restaurant in Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath for a year, said his eatery had been affected by the rules. He said: "We did try before and they didn't give us permission for a second chef.

"I don't know why they do it. Indian restaurants are always short of staff. Language is a problem but most of my staff speak Bengali. We do want to get the staff from India who can cook the food properly and know about the spices.

"It's a problem everywhere. I know a few restaurant owners who are struggling to provide authentic cuisine because they don't have a good chef.

"They did give us permission a couple of years ago and a lot of people came, but still we need more people."

The nationwide issue was sparked by the pressure group the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) which said the rules restrict people allowed a visa to educated people who can speak English.

The campaigners say the skills are not needed above the expertise to produce authentic Indian cusine.

Rahman Sarker, co-partner at Chutney in Easton Street, High Wycombe, said although his restaurant had not been directly affected, it is a problem in south Bucks.

Rahman said: "The Government are telling us to employ local people, but when you try to employ Polish people you find they can't make a chapatti.

"If my chef is not happy he might leave tomorrow and I will have exactly the same problem as everyone else.

"The younger generation are not interested in tradition at all and people born in this country would prefer to work in Tesco and not follow the family business."


Your Say YourBucks Free Press

Marmite, HW says...
2:31pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Now, my immigration views are slightly further right than Hitler's, but I'd make an exception in these circumstances.

slacker, Flackwell says...
3:21pm Tue 19 Feb 08

hhahaha how rediculous. There are thousands of people out of work in this country who could work there. If they really must be Indian how about employing one of the many Indian people in this country? There really is no need to go abroad to get good chefs. This is just a rubbish excuse for a struggling business.

Having eaten from the Radhuni restaurant I can say there is probably a large number of other reasons why this restaurant is struggling. Maybe they should start looking closer to home for excuses.

Mutley, High Wycombe says...
4:07pm Tue 19 Feb 08

It does make you wonder how many of the "chefs" we gave visas to a couple of years ago (and it was "a lot of people" according to the article) are still working in the Restaurant trade or whether it was seen by some as a quick, albeit legal, way into the country. Or are the work visas restricted?

motco, Beaconsfield says...
4:39pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Isn't it illegal to employ people only for their ethnic origins? If an employer took on an indigenous Briton because he/she was 'bred in the tradition of the business' there'd be a bit of a fuss.

The old apprenticeship system would remedy the problem surely, rather than always expecting a ready made employee, train your own under contract for four or five years.

Capo, hw says...
5:16pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Unemployment is highest in the ethnic groups that the restaurants need as chefs, which does appear to be a paradox. Can the restaurateurs get rid of some of their own family who are already here under the pretence of being chefs and change them for ones that can cook. I myself cook authentic curries that are far better than found in most of buck's restaurants, so it is also rubbish to say that there is some cultural prerequisite to be a curry chef.

Hans Schmidt, High Where says...
10:39pm Tue 19 Feb 08

I'm liking your thinking Capo, let's swap the lazy scroungers for ones who can work in the restaurants. One in one out!

PENTAD, High Wycombe says...
8:30am Wed 20 Feb 08

I wonder what Polish curry tastes like. We'll all be finding out soon as the Indian/Pakistani/Ban
gladeshi restaurants all disappear and get replaced by their East European equivalents.
I can't wait.

Bernard, HW says...
10:26am Wed 20 Feb 08

Funny how Chutney isnt suffereing because the food there is excellent. Perhaps, as was rightly pointed out earlier, the one in Flackwell is in fact not very good and thats why it is failing.

Jay, High Wycombe says...
4:05pm Wed 20 Feb 08

So really the headline should be, "Too many Indians, not enough chefs!"

Steve, Totteridge Hill says...
4:47pm Wed 20 Feb 08

Let them eat cake...

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