Shiva Shakti Foods Leicester 2018
Shiva Shakti Foods in one of the shops I use regularly and it’s on 4 - 6 Macdonald Road, Leicester, LE4 5HD. It caters for all things Asian in the heart of the Asian shopping area –Belgrave Road.
Rajesh Pabari is one of the three brothers who own and runs the shop.
He has a jovial personality, very friendly and always cracking jokes with you as you come to the till. He puts a smile on your face and I highly recommend you go and meet him.
I asked Rajesh Pabari the history of his shop. Its only when you talk to the person that you meet the real person behind the till. Their hopes, dreams, struggles and how they arrived where they are today. We all have our stories.
He said his father Dwarkadas Pabari bought a single terraced house on 4 McDonald Road in 1982 to open a shop that would cater for all the Asian food stuff. Dwarkadas was married to wife Manglaben.
Rajesh said the people in the area appreciated the shop where their daily Asian goods could be purchased.
His father passed away at a young age of about 47 and the three brothers had to grow up quickly learning the skill. Hasmukh was the eldest of the three brothers. He took over the business and quickly learnt the ropes of shop keeping.
The family bond was strong. His other two younger brothers Rajesh and Kamlesh left study to join in running the shop. After their father’s death the shop could easily have closed down but their hard work and sheer determination paid off.
The business was made successful and an opportunity arose to buy the house next door. They managed to secure its purchase and expanded the premises.
As luck would have it, a few years another opportunity to buy the third house also came knocking.
Today they have converted these three properties into a mini supermarket that caters well for the much needed Asian food supplies. It is run by sons oldest Hasmukh, then Rajesh and youngest Kamlesh Pabari.
Rajesh told me one of the highlight of working here was when a couple met in the same shop after many years. Apparently as children both of them used to come to the shop with their parents. The couple remembers their lives as childrens playing and running around in the shop. The boy’s family believed to have moved to London, but many years later the girl and boy met each other in the same shop! They became good friends and were married only 2 years ago (2016). Rajesh thinks the wedding may have been on Valentine’s Day. Perhaps Rajesh can fill you in with more if you happen to visit the area.
Some of the other highlights of working in the shop is that they have seen a fair few celebrities in the area and even inside their shop!
Its not everyday that a big film star from India turns up in your shop in Leicester. But this is exactly what happened when Bollywood Film actress Simi Ghrewal dropped in to buy a box of mangoes. Excited as they were, they did maintain a professional and friendly attitude.
Dev Ananda once dropped in to buy some fruits and Tun Tun also dropped in to do some shopping.
Rajesh said he remembers Teresa May also dropping into his shop for something –which he cant remember now. Off course Keith Vaz and other Councillors also drop by.
Rajesh said the BBC has quite often done interviews of them whenever something occured in the Belgrave area to obtain opinions. One such time was when Mega Star of Indian film industry --Amitabh Bachchan arrived at the Belgrave Commercial centre exactly opposite their shop in 1990! They had good view of the star from their upstairs window.
I was there too! I remember thousands packed into the car park of the Belgrave Commercial centre to get a glimpse of the star. I have a cutting from the Leicester Mercury of that day.
Another amazing event he remembers was when two ladies in their 70s suddenly started to hug and laugh out loudly with joy and tears. Rajesh asked what was going on. Excitedly they said that they had just met after 40 years of separation! They used to be good friends in Africa, but after coming to UK they lost contact. Strangely they both lived in London and only a few blocks away from each other but never managed to bump into each other. And after 40 years -- most strange -- they both happen to be in Leicester at the same time and both happen to be in his shop! What a meeting that must have been. You can’t make this up!
Belgrave Road is not only a major shopping area of all things Asians, it is also an ‘educational centre’ where school children from different schools come on trips in the summer to see and learn about the cultures of Indians in Leicester. I have quite often seen these school children myself. Rajesh said that his shop has become one of the must visit places on Belgrave Road to see the many variety of Indian foods on sale. Their shop has become a sort of ‘cultural hub’ for learning.
Leicester College has conducted an interviews of some of the shops in the area and his was one of them. The college said they will revisit this interview in 50years times to see how the area has changed or developed.
He said the BBC and Central TV have been in his shop quite a few times. One time to interview a chap who grew a very large onion. Rajesh thinks the chap may have won an award but cannot recall at the minute. However he did manage to take a photo which was stored in his phone. I asked if I could take the photo as well and he kindly obliged.
My other photos also shows Rajesh in the shop and the inside of the shop. He also me some of the other photos he had stored in his phone. A picture of a large water melon that he sold in the shop. A picture of him holding very large mangoes he obtained from Indian after the Mango ban not too long ago. 2015 I believe. A very large custard Apple that was sold for about £18.00! A large slice of Jack fruit sold for £6.49.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing.
The photos are for your pleasure.
Don’t forget to say hello to Rajesh and his brothers if you are in the area.
He still has many stories to tell.
Shiva Shakti Foods Leicester 2018
Shiva Shakti Foods in one of the shops I use regularly and it’s on 4 - 6 Macdonald Road, Leicester, LE4 5HD. It caters for all things Asian in the heart of the Asian shopping area –Belgrave Road.
Rajesh Pabari is one of the three brothers who own and runs the shop.
He has a jovial personality, very friendly and always cracking jokes with you as you come to the till. He puts a smile on your face and I highly recommend you go and meet him.
I asked Rajesh Pabari the history of his shop. Its only when you talk to the person that you meet the real person behind the till. Their hopes, dreams, struggles and how they arrived where they are today. We all have our stories.
He said his father Dwarkadas Pabari bought a single terraced house on 4 McDonald Road in 1982 to open a shop that would cater for all the Asian food stuff. Dwarkadas was married to wife Manglaben.
Rajesh said the people in the area appreciated the shop where their daily Asian goods could be purchased.
His father passed away at a young age of about 47 and the three brothers had to grow up quickly learning the skill. Hasmukh was the eldest of the three brothers. He took over the business and quickly learnt the ropes of shop keeping.
The family bond was strong. His other two younger brothers Rajesh and Kamlesh left study to join in running the shop. After their father’s death the shop could easily have closed down but their hard work and sheer determination paid off.
The business was made successful and an opportunity arose to buy the house next door. They managed to secure its purchase and expanded the premises.
As luck would have it, a few years another opportunity to buy the third house also came knocking.
Today they have converted these three properties into a mini supermarket that caters well for the much needed Asian food supplies. It is run by sons oldest Hasmukh, then Rajesh and youngest Kamlesh Pabari.
Rajesh told me one of the highlight of working here was when a couple met in the same shop after many years. Apparently as children both of them used to come to the shop with their parents. The couple remembers their lives as childrens playing and running around in the shop. The boy’s family believed to have moved to London, but many years later the girl and boy met each other in the same shop! They became good friends and were married only 2 years ago (2016). Rajesh thinks the wedding may have been on Valentine’s Day. Perhaps Rajesh can fill you in with more if you happen to visit the area.
Some of the other highlights of working in the shop is that they have seen a fair few celebrities in the area and even inside their shop!
Its not everyday that a big film star from India turns up in your shop in Leicester. But this is exactly what happened when Bollywood Film actress Simi Ghrewal dropped in to buy a box of mangoes. Excited as they were, they did maintain a professional and friendly attitude.
Dev Ananda once dropped in to buy some fruits and Tun Tun also dropped in to do some shopping.
Rajesh said he remembers Teresa May also dropping into his shop for something –which he cant remember now. Off course Keith Vaz and other Councillors also drop by.
Rajesh said the BBC has quite often done interviews of them whenever something occured in the Belgrave area to obtain opinions. One such time was when Mega Star of Indian film industry --Amitabh Bachchan arrived at the Belgrave Commercial centre exactly opposite their shop in 1990! They had good view of the star from their upstairs window.
I was there too! I remember thousands packed into the car park of the Belgrave Commercial centre to get a glimpse of the star. I have a cutting from the Leicester Mercury of that day.
Another amazing event he remembers was when two ladies in their 70s suddenly started to hug and laugh out loudly with joy and tears. Rajesh asked what was going on. Excitedly they said that they had just met after 40 years of separation! They used to be good friends in Africa, but after coming to UK they lost contact. Strangely they both lived in London and only a few blocks away from each other but never managed to bump into each other. And after 40 years -- most strange -- they both happen to be in Leicester at the same time and both happen to be in his shop! What a meeting that must have been. You can’t make this up!
Belgrave Road is not only a major shopping area of all things Asians, it is also an ‘educational centre’ where school children from different schools come on trips in the summer to see and learn about the cultures of Indians in Leicester. I have quite often seen these school children myself. Rajesh said that his shop has become one of the must visit places on Belgrave Road to see the many variety of Indian foods on sale. Their shop has become a sort of ‘cultural hub’ for learning.
Leicester College has conducted an interviews of some of the shops in the area and his was one of them. The college said they will revisit this interview in 50years times to see how the area has changed or developed.
He said the BBC and Central TV have been in his shop quite a few times. One time to interview a chap who grew a very large onion. Rajesh thinks the chap may have won an award but cannot recall at the minute. However he did manage to take a photo which was stored in his phone. I asked if I could take the photo as well and he kindly obliged.
My other photos also shows Rajesh in the shop and the inside of the shop. He also me some of the other photos he had stored in his phone. A picture of a large water melon that he sold in the shop. A picture of him holding very large mangoes he obtained from Indian after the Mango ban not too long ago. 2015 I believe. A very large custard Apple that was sold for about £18.00! A large slice of Jack fruit sold for £6.49.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing.
The photos are for your pleasure.
Don’t forget to say hello to Rajesh and his brothers if you are in the area.
He still has many stories to tell.