Portobello restaurant welcomes hundreds at huge free buffet to celebrate 20 years in business

Bonoful in Brighton Place, Portobello opened its doors in 2005 and has been serving authentic Bangladeshi and Indian food ever since. It celebrated its milestone on Sunday, 22 June with a massive free buffet for customers.

Sayad Miah, manager at the restaurant, said it was an opportunity to thank customers and local people for their support over the years.

He said: “Some people came from the other side of town as well because their friends and family told them about the party here. We also invited local public services, like the fire brigade and local police officers because they give a service to the community, plus local primary schools all around here, and staff at the two secondary schools. We decided to give something back because without customer support, we cannot survive.”

Preparation for the event started in the days leading up to the event, with the team at Bonoful taking shifts throughout the day as they had hundreds of patrons come through the door.

Sayad said: “It was a really tiring day because there was lots of food prepared. So that's why the staff were working overnight, because, as you know, Indian food takes time to prepare. So we have to work so many hours extra, especially our chefs, who work very hard to prepare the food. They started early and they did some preparation overnight and came in very early in morning.”

Bonoful has been in business for 20 years. It thanked customers in late June. | Bonoful

But it was worth it to see their customers appreciate their efforts.

Sayad added: “We saw lots of people smiling and giving thanks to us all. At the same time, we thank them as well for giving us the opportunity to continue in a business.”

Reflecting on 20 years in business Sayad said that things have changed in terms of those being able to eat out in the city.

He said: “We have found big changes on the business side because people used to come so often, but because of things like the economy and the cost of living crisis it is getting harder for everyone, so we don't see people coming every week like before.

“Especially after Covid it is all completely changed. Business is getting harder as well, but still, we're trying our best to carry on.”

But Sayad said he “hopes to be doing it all again in 20 years time”.