The phone rings. It is Amjad (Peter) Bashir, owner of the Zouk Tea Bar and Grill in Leeds Road.

It’s always good to talk with him, and this time especially so.

The ever-innovative businessman was calling to tell me about his latest venture – revealed in the daily T&A business section (Pages 20-21).

This likeable character, whose original Zouk outlet created a style of eating place now mirrored by competitors, is taking the business to the next stage in a completely new venture.

Zouk was approached by supermarket giant Asda to produce ready-made meals to be sold at special stalls in up to 45 of its stores. It has led to an investment of more than £1 million in establishing a production unit off Wakefield Road, which has so far created around a dozen new jobs.

Zouk is also planning another restaurant in central Leeds soon, to add to its Bradford and Manchester outlets, and has also signed up to a new development in Liverpool.

On top of that, plans to demolish a former pub next to its Leeds Road base to create a £2.5 million chefs’ academy and new head office are also proceeding.

Mr Bashir remains strongly committed to Bradford and pointed out that, while the new food production centre could have been based anywhere, he chose to keep it in the city.

More good news.