Family, friends and Bradford’s business community came together to remember the pioneering Akbar’s founder as his daughters unveiled the Shabir Hussain Foundation and a new range of Akbar’s curry sauces.
The life and extraordinary legacy of Akbar’s founder, Shabir Hussain, were celebrated at a special tribute event on Leeds Road, bringing together family, friends, business leaders and community members to remember the man affectionately known as the “King of Curry.”
Held at Akbar’s on Leeds Road as part of this year’s Leeds Road Festival, the event on Saturday, 15 August featured personal memories and inspiring speeches reflecting on Shabir’s entrepreneurial journey, generosity and his enormous impact on Bradford and Britain’s South Asian restaurant industry.
It was particularly poignant that the celebration took place on Leeds Road – the very place where Akbar’s story began.
In 1995, Shabir opened his first modest 28-seat restaurant on Leeds Road in Bradford, determined to serve authentic South Asian food and create a dining experience that could compete with the best.
What followed became one of Bradford’s great business success stories.
The restaurant expanded into the adjoining unit and over the following years developed into a much larger flagship operation. Akbar’s eventually expanded beyond Bradford, establishing itself as one of the best-known names in British South Asian dining.
A man who changed the curry industry
At a time when perceptions of the traditional curry house were different, Shabir helped raise expectations. He showed that authentic Pakistani and South Asian cuisine could be paired with ambitious presentation, professional service, stylish surroundings, and consistently high standards.
That approach helped change expectations across the industry and proved that a restaurant brand born on Leeds Road in Bradford could compete nationally without sacrificing its identity or authenticity.
Shabir was also an innovator.
Perhaps his most famous creation was the hanging naan or “naan tree,” devised as a practical way to serve Akbar’s famously large family naans without taking over the entire table.
The distinctive vertical stand became synonymous with Akbar’s and was copied by restaurants across the country. Shabir later joked he wished he had patented the idea.
It was typical of the entrepreneur he was: see a problem, find a solution and do things differently.
His daughters carry the torch
Almost two years after his passing, Saturday’s tribute was also about the future.
Shabir’s daughters Samina, Samiara and Iram stood proudly at the heart of the celebration, continuing the family legacy and taking Akbar’s story into its next chapter.
One major announcement was the launch of the Shabir Hussain Foundation, established in his memory to ensure the values and generosity associated with his name continue beyond the restaurant business.
The family also unveiled a new range of Akbar’s curry sauces, expected to be available from September, bringing the flavours of the restaurant brand into people’s homes.
For a business that began with just 28 seats on Leeds Road, it marked another important step in Akbar’s journey.
More than a businessman
For Asian Express Managing Editor Andleeb Hanif, the tribute carried an especially personal significance. She had known Shabir for more than 30 years, including during the earliest days of Asian Express.
“When we started Asian Express 26 years ago, we were the new kids on the block trying to build something we believed in,” she said.
“Shabir was one of the first people to back us and support the newspaper. At a time when that support mattered, he believed in what we were trying to do. We will never forget that.
“Listening to many people share their memories of him brought back plenty of my own.
“What came through in every speech today was that Shabir’s legacy isn’t simply about how many restaurants he opened. It is about the people he encouraged, helped and inspired along the way.”
That contribution was also recognised at the Business Power Awards 2025, when Shabir was posthumously honoured with the Special Recognition Award, celebrating his business achievements and lasting contribution to the region.
At last years’ Leeds Road Festival, his contribution was immortalised with the unveiling of a landmark tribute billboard celebrating the Akbar’s founder. This year’s event went further, bringing people together inside the business where so much of that story began.
The tribute formed part of the wider Leeds Road Festival, which once again celebrated the people, businesses, food and cultures that have helped shape one of Bradford’s most diverse communities.
For Shabir’s family, however, the occasion was as much about looking forward as looking back. His daughters are now custodians of a business and a name built over three decades, while the launch of the Shabir Hussain Foundation and the new Akbar’s retail products demonstrate an ambition to take that legacy in new directions.
