Vujon restaurant and takeaway
Holme Lane, Sutton-in-Craven, Keighley
Tel: (01535) 632998

Shibli Choudhury started out as a chef in his home country of Bangladesh.

"I found a job in a hotel owned by a friend, and helped the kitchen staff," he recalls. "I realised how much I liked working with food, so began to do more."

Those days now seem a long way off to the talented chef who has worked hard throughout his career and is now excited to be a partner in Vujon, a new restaurant and takeaway in Sutton-in-Craven near Keighley, where diners can enjoy contemporary and traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Italian cuisine.

Main meals include chicken tikka dhesi, a mild-medium dish made with cream and butter, the chicken and garlic dish roshuni, and various pasta dishes.

"The food is mostly Indian, with pastas and pizzas too - we have an Italian chef as part of our team in the kitchen," says Shibli, who heads the catering operation. "We are using the finest ingredients and can cater for all tastes."

The restaurant - the name translates from Indian as a place to eat quality food' - has been styled in a contemporary design, with white, tiled floors offering a contrast to the granite-topped, cast iron-legged tables and leather chairs. Adding to the atmosphere are ceiling lights which change colour.

Already, since opening last month, the eatery is proving popular. "We have been very busy," says Shibli, who was brought up in the Sylhet region of north-eastern Bangladesh, famed for its tea plantations. "I am really thrilled about it - we aim to provide something different."

He came to Britain in 1992 with his wife Alean, who lived in Hull when the couple met. A move to London followed, where Shibli plied his trade in a number of restaurants before returning north. "It was good experience. The training was very good."

He points out how different the dishes are to those he used to cook in Bangladesh. "Here in the UK, people prefer curry to have a smoother, milder taste whereas in Bangladesh, people like their meals to be a lot spicier. Here, curries tend to be a lot more creamy as that is what people want."

Shibli established himself in West Yorkshire with an Indian food takeaway business in Otley and a second in Castleford. "I ran them both for many years," he says. "It was very hard work and I didn't get much time to do anything else - you have to be prepared to be there all the time."

With two young sons, it was particularly hard for Shibli, so two years ago he sold the takeaway to move into new ventures. The couple have since had another child, a daughter. "I have three now - Edad, aged 16, Jawad, who's 11 and Shoee who is one," he says proudly.

"The boys love their sister - they can't wait to see her when they come home from school - and when she sees them she gives them a big smile."

When he does find time to relax, Shibli spends it with his family "playing football in the park with my sons or playing with my little girl - she is so cute at this age."

At home, Alean does the cooking. "We eat mainly curries, but also English and Italian food," says Shibli. "Alean is a good cook, and it is nice when I can sit down and enjoy someone else's food."