Brick Lane on verge of losing its flavour?
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
LONDON, Dec 3 (PTI): Brick Lane, the historic east London street symbolic of Britain's South Asian community, may soon be losing its flavour as corporates try to squeeze out curry from its array of Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants.
Already 15 restaurants have gone out of business and many more are considering pulling down the shutters due to the influx of corporate brands in the area, which have triggered a rapid rise in rent, 'The Observer' reported here yesterday.
According to the President of Bangladesh Caterers' Association, Bajloor Rashid, the influx of corporate brands is making the area, referred to as Bangla Town, "soul-less".
"In the last four years, rent has more than doubled and rates have increased by 50 to 70 per cent, which has forced many residents to migrate out of the area and for restaurants to shut shop.
"Their long-term future has become questionable, and it might not be long before Brick Lane is no longer regarded as the curry capital of Bangladeshi food," Rashid was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
Rashid said the area, bustling with weekend bazaars and the smell of fresh Indian curry, had changed hugely in the past year, becoming more affluent and modern.
"But this masks the problems being faced by restaurateurs and traditional residents resulting from increasing property prices and rates which are crippling the Bangladeshi restaurant industry," he said.
Formerly Whitechapel Lane, Brick Lane is the location for Monica Ali's novel of the same name published in 2003, now also a controversial film recently premiered in London.
Already 15 restaurants have gone out of business and many more are considering pulling down the shutters due to the influx of corporate brands in the area, which have triggered a rapid rise in rent, 'The Observer' reported here yesterday.
According to the President of Bangladesh Caterers' Association, Bajloor Rashid, the influx of corporate brands is making the area, referred to as Bangla Town, "soul-less".
"In the last four years, rent has more than doubled and rates have increased by 50 to 70 per cent, which has forced many residents to migrate out of the area and for restaurants to shut shop.
"Their long-term future has become questionable, and it might not be long before Brick Lane is no longer regarded as the curry capital of Bangladeshi food," Rashid was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
Rashid said the area, bustling with weekend bazaars and the smell of fresh Indian curry, had changed hugely in the past year, becoming more affluent and modern.
"But this masks the problems being faced by restaurateurs and traditional residents resulting from increasing property prices and rates which are crippling the Bangladeshi restaurant industry," he said.
Formerly Whitechapel Lane, Brick Lane is the location for Monica Ali's novel of the same name published in 2003, now also a controversial film recently premiered in London.