Indian Summer Kitchen targets expansion

The operator, which is to run a food offer at InnBrighton’s Duke of Norfolk pub in Brighton from 29 November, said it’s looking to expand throughout the south east with its own standalone format.

A spokesman told M&C Report: “The ambition is to become the largest Indian chain in the UK, but that wouldn’t take many.

“The plan is to travel up the M23 into London and east and west round the M25. They’re not setting a numbers target yet, they want to see how this one goes and refine the offering.

“The trick is to capture the lunchtime market, which the Banglasdeshi dominated market has never taken seriously.”

Breaking the mould​

Co-owner Minesh Agnihotri said the Duke of Norfolk link “gives Indian Summer a platform of offering the British public the chance to sample authentic Indian cooking, rather than the pastiche of the sub continent’s culinary heritage, served by too many supposed Indian restaurants”,

“Many pubs serve Indian food, but it rarely matches up to the standards of even the most unambitious of curry house - we aim to break the mould.”

Byron Swales, the other co-owner, said: “Remarkably few take their lunch time trade seriously. Although Brits love spicy food, the market is moving away from the post pub market, for heavy curries swimming in oil - for healthier, lighter dishes.”

InnBrighton operations director Simon Walker said: “Indian Summer has a fantastic and well-deserved reputation in the city centre, so we are really excited to have Indian Summer Kitchen at the Duke of Norfolk.”