Aagrah restaurateur remembered by MyLahore and Craft Guild of Chefs

Haji Mohammed Sabir MBE, founder and chairman of the Aagrah brand, died on Saturday at the age of 84.

There has been an outpouring of love across the district and wider UK in the aftermath of his death.

Andrew Green, chief executive of the Craft Guild of Chefs, spent several years on the South Asian Chef competition’s judging panel and worked alongside the Aagrah. 

Mr Green, who visited Bradford for three days every year as part of his role, said: “It’s an absolute tragic loss to the area of Bradford and Leeds as he did make an impact in the restaurant world.

"One of those legacies was the fact he really impacted the community and all the various trusts he used to be involved in. He put a lot back into the community.

“He always used to do a business event every year. Half would go towards good work in Pakistan, the other half would always be local. His impact in the area - with employment, etc. - was just phenomenal, apart from having the best Kashmiri cuisine in the UK.

Charity dinner: Aagrah founder Mohammed Sabir pictured next to Dr Maleeha Lodhi, High Commissioner of Pakistan, Noorie Sabir, Dr Ruqwwha of Balochistan, Pakistan, and Mohammed Aslam, MD of Aagrah (Image: Newsquest) “I was about to work for a law firm in London and they used to come over from America and take the Aagrah food, frozen, with them to America. In their eyes it was that good.

“They are such a close-knit family but they’ve impacted the whole community.

“The food itself, the thing was if you look at most Aagrah’s they're full all the time. It was regular people that came back time after time. They wanted to have that affordability. 

“It’s a massively sad loss.” 

Following news of Mr Sabir’s death, Anna Dixon, the new MP for Shipley, said: “Sad news. I enjoyed lunch at Shipley Aagrah on Friday. As always such a warm welcome and delicious food.”

How the Aagrah restaurant on Saltaire Road, Shipley, used to look (Image: Newsquest) Ishfaq Farooq, one of the directors at British Asian-inspired restaurant chain MyLahore, said Mr Sabir was a senior chef who younger people could look up to.

He said: “He himself and the Aagrah have contributed a lot to Bradford. Aagrah were one of the first for Kashmir cuisine. 

“We’ve been over two decades and these [the Aagrah brand] have been over four decades. We really appreciate all the senior guys, British Asian like us, who have been on this journey in the food industry and been part of this ever-growing industry.

Haji Mohammed Sabir MBE in 1982 outside the first Aagrah restaurant - the year he received the vegetarian trademark (Image: Other) “The national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala. People like Mr Sabir and many other fellow guys in the industry have paved that way and given top-quality food. If you want a successful brand or good curry, if it’s passed in Bradford it’s passed anywhere. Bradford’s got such tough competition where standards are so high. People like Mr Sabir have contributed to that.”

Dr Mohammed Ali OBE, the founder, and CEO of QED Foundation, had known Mr Sabir since he was in his 20s.

Mr Sabir was a trustee at the charity for 10 years. The foundation offers courses and training in anything from money management and business to IT and English language. 

“He’s been really very nice to me,” said Dr Ali.

“A great guy, very quiet, unassuming man, and he’s done a lot by setting up those restaurants. 

“He was very active in the community. 

“He raised a lot of money for a hospital [in Pakistan]. He will always be remembered by his contributions to charity - particularly Pakistan, he’s done a lot there.”

Mr Sabir, who moved to Bradford to work in the city’s mills, first opened a mobile takeaway in his cherished Commer Van, known as the Spice Pot, in 1976. 

Mr Sabir started the business while continuing his day job as a bus driver, working 18-hour days to get the business up and running.

After a Barclays Bank manager who travelled on his bus route offered him the chance to borrow £20,000, Mr Sabir opened the first Aagrah branch in Shipley.

Since then the restaurateur and his brother Mohammed Aslam, the group's managing director, built the business into the giant it is today.