Big night out for the opening of Banbury's newest Indian restaurant

Banbury's Deputy Mayor, Cllr Fiaz Ahmed, welcomes Chef Santosh and Salkaara to Banbury

The restaurant, Salkaara, was officially opened by Banbury’s Deputy Mayor and town councillor, Cllr Fiaz Ahmed on Thursday, October 12. Mr Ahmed welcomed the family business to its premises at 16, Broad Street, Banbury and greeted guests who enjoyed the promise of top quality food from the Kerala region and other parts of India, combined with the best of British produce.

Guest, Geraldine Pinto described the food as ‘superb’.

“The food served was superb. We loved all the delicate flavours that came through slowly after the initial bite. After a few mouthfuls you begin to identify different spices that hit all right notes. We loved the starters -- vegetable bahji, fishballs, and our favourite was the chicken tandoori which was so tender. The main dishes were just asdelicious too,” she said.

Chef Santosh and his team outside Salkaara in Bridge Street, Banbury

Banbury Bid Manager Kenny Gillett said: “We wish Salkaara all the best in bringing the taste of south Indian cuisine to Banbury. It was a fabulous evening with a great selection of guests and the food was a real joy.”Community volunteer Prabhu Natarajan, who comes from the same region of India as his hosts, said; “Finally we have a Keralan restaurant in Banbury offering mouthwatering cuisine. It was a memorable day meeting amazing friends of the town.”

Guest Michael Hampton said: “It was an amazing night at Salkaara. The hospitality and food were first class and I can recommend it to all in Banbury.”Owner Chef Santhosh said the company had chosen Banbury as his fifth location (he runs two restaurants in Bristol and two in Cardiff) because of Banbury’s growing reputation as a ‘foodie’ town.“We were delighted with the supportive spirit among our VIP guests who created a really positive atmosphere during the evening. Being a family business, community is really important to us. We’re very pleased with the welcome we’ve received. Thank you Banbury,” he said.

Salkaara is derived from the word Salkaram in Malayalam which means hosting guests, providing a feast or even just giving a hearty welcome.

All pictures by Ian Gentles.