AS RESTAURANT owners will tell you, a great deal of thought goes into choosing a name for a new eaterie.
And it took much deliberation before Harry Khinda settled on the name for his Shipley-based business: The Crafty Indian - our Telegraph & Argus Trader of the Week.
“The name was born out of our love for craft beer and Indian food,” he says.
“After lots of thought it kind of named itself really - we couldn’t have chosen a better name had we tried. Aside from that we are a crafty bunch coming up with all sorts of crafty ideas.”
One of those ideas was to use tiffin tins - a set of containers fastened together one on top of another, to hold different parts of a meal.
They were traditionally used in India to carry a meal to eat at work or, and are still in use today
“It started during the pandemic. Customers would buy a tiffin, we would fill it up and drop it off for them. It was particularly helpful when people were isolating,” explains Harry.
“It has continued post-pandemic and we sell plenty on a weekly basis. Customers phone through their order and bring their tiffin with them. We fill it up while they enjoy a beer - it’s a great way to reduce plastic waste and we encourage others to follow our example.”
The restaurant opened at the end of November 2019. It was previously Zaara’s Indian restaurant - also owned by Harry - but revamped and rebranded to become The Crafty Indian.
“So in total we have been trading her for more than 16 years,” he says.
Inside, Harry describes the restaurant as “bright, bubbly, fun and inviting with lots to catch your interest, from details of the hundreds of beers we have served, the family slogans dotted around the restaurant and cool lighting system we have installed.”
On the menu, Thali platters are very popular, with a meal made up of two snacks, two curries, rice and naan bread, all for a set price.
“You can choose from meat, vegetarian or vegan,” says Harry.
“For takeaways butter chicken flies out of the door, especially on these cold nights. It’s been in the news recently, there is a court case on-going in New Delhi as to which of two family-run restaurants invented the dish.”
“We have good choices for vegetarians and vegans and we put on regular specials to freshen up our offering. A lot of our dishes are not that well-known - we prefer to be different and offer dishes that our families grew up eating in India, rather than UK curry classics.”
Ingredients are sourced locally where possible. “Our meat comes from Yorkshire farms and is non-halal. This ensures quality, consistency and traceability, while also helping the local economy, “says Harry. “Our spices come from local, reputable importers and our vegetables come from local markets across the district.”
The restaurant’s three chefs include Harry’s wife Sharan. “It’s quite unusual, having an Asian woman in the kitchen in a male-dominated industry, but again we like to be different,” says Harry.
“I work front of house, looking after the customers. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the restaurant and meeting and talking to customers, some who come once or twice a week.”
The Crafty Indian’s varied drinks menu includes many craft beers which change on a regular basis.
*The Crafty Indian, 34-38 Bradford Rd, Shipley BD18 3NT; thecraftyindian.com
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