BOSSES behind a new authentic Indian restaurant are hoping to honour the legacy of their late mother who traded in Barrow for more than two decades.

Siblings Fahsin Ahmed and Fahmida Shamim are launching the Taj Mahal Restaurant in Barrow’s Cavendish Street this June. 

The pair was inspired to set up the business after their parents, Abida Bahar and Masud Ahmed, ran Mithali, latterly known as the Mitalee, in Dalton Road for 25 years.

The popular restaurant then reopened solely as a takeaway in May 2018.

Nearly four years on, Fahsin and his sister Fahmida have announced that they are opening Taj Mahal Restaurant in their late mother’s memory who died of vascular dementia in 2020.

The siblings are hoping to honour their parents’ legacy by serving quality Indian food to a community they both loved.

Mrs Shamim, who grew up in Barrow but now lives in Preston, will work as the restaurant’s manager focussing on behind-the-scenes operations while her brother will be front of house.

“I wanted to open a restaurant to give back to the Barrow community,” Mrs Shamim, a mum-of-three, said.

“My parents lived there, I grew up there and thought it was absolutely great.

“My parents have been in this trade for many years. My mum was a chef for more than 20 years in Barrow.

“My mum passed away just before the lockdown in 2020 so we wanted to open a restaurant in her memory.

“I saw how much my mum loved running a restaurant and got to the time in my life where I wanted to do something for myself and thought why can’t I do it?

“My parents ran their business in Barrow for such a long time – they received so much love and support from the community that it only seemed right for us to open one in the town too.”

Mrs Shamim believes there is a gap in the market for an authentic Indian restaurant which will help revitalise the ‘dying’ town centre.

“I came to Barrow recently and was quite sad to see what it was like now when I was walking around,” the 42-year-old said.

“It just seems so desolate. We are hoping to try to create as much as business as we can in Barrow for the community.

“I definitely think there’s a gap in the market for an Indian restaurant. People want face to face service which isn’t online.”

The restaurant, which is set to create ten to 15 jobs, has a capacity of more than 40 people and will serve a mixture of both Eastern and Western cuisine.

Mrs Shamim said the family has received a ‘huge amount’ of support since announcing the news of a new restaurant.

“We’ve had a huge amount of interest since announcing the news that we were opening a restaurant in Barrow,” she said.

“It looks like the whole community wanted something like this. We’ve had so many messages asking when we’re open.

“We want the restaurant to appeal to both the older and younger generation at the same time.

“I’m excited to see old friends and show everyone what we’ve been working on.”

The siblings are hoping to open Taj Mahal in early-June.