Two best friends are on a mission to bring healthy fast food to Cheltenham with a new takeaway.
Organic Gurus is a new takeaway that hopes to make its mark on the St Pauls area of the town with its fresh organic produce, using it to provide gastronomic delights to local people at an affordable price.
Owner of Organic Gurus Kowsar Ahmad has been living in Cheltenham for nearly ten years and has high hopes for the new business venture, which opened its doors in January this year.
Kowsar, 30, had left the hospitality industry nearly eight years ago after becoming disillusioned with working for large chains.
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However, he has come back with a bang and partnered up with his good friend and experienced chef Alex Ionita.
Kowsar said: “We always said to each other ‘one day we’re going to do it, one day we’ll open up our own restaurant.”
“I was just very interested in doing something different.”
“This area is poor and people need to eat healthy food.
“Organic smoothies were our first idea, then it grew from there that we wanted to create dishes using organic ingredients.
“People know now that they need to eat healthy food, especially now that they’re becoming more health-conscious due to the pandemic.
“Our customers all say they love our food, that it’s something different and there’s nothing healthy in Cheltenham.”
Kowsar, 30, grew up around businessmen such as his father and grandfather at home in India, so he said it felt natural for him to take on the trade.
He added that the prospect of opening a new business in the middle of a pandemic is “scary” but that the response from the community so far has been “unbelievable”.
He said: “You need to be positive when you’re opening up and we’re starting completely from scratch.
“I know this is going to be difficult for us but it’s a difficult time for everyone and the response so far gas been unbelievable.
“It’s only been two months but we’ve already had great reviews and are building a great customer base.”
Kowsar previously worked in Cheltenham’s fine dining restaurant Prithvi on Bath Road but said it was “always an ambition” to open his own place.
“We just want to give people something different, let people have a bit of fine dining without it being expensive.” he said.
The duo are also passionate about giving back what fortunes they take in and have pledged that £1 of every order will go towards homeless charities.
Kowsar said: “When I think about children or anyone going hungry and not having food, I feel like I’n going to cry.
“I would never refuse anyone food – food should always be available to everyone.
“It’s very important to give back to the people around you.”
Meanwhile Alex, 35, has around 18 years’ experience as a chef under his belt after learning the tricks of the trade from his grandfather.
“I come from a very poor family in Romania,” he said. “My grandfather raised me and he was a chef, so he taught me how to cook from a very young age.
“I used to hate it,” he laughed. “But then I started learning more and earning some money from it, so I came to appreciate it and really enjoy it.”
Alex has worked with Michelin starred chefs and has cooked up cuisine for famous figures ranging from the President of Romania to Hollywood actors such as Nicolas Cage, who was in Sibiu, Romania filming the movie ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’
After six years working professionally in Romania, he set off for the UK as he said: “I thought it was time for another adventure”
After the positive feedback from their customers, the future looks bright for Organic Gurus as they say the next goal would be to open their own fine dining restaurant.
“We plan to build a name here first,” said Kowsar. “Then if the pandemic allows it, we want to open a fine dining restaurant with the same idea of organic food.
“But for us at the moment, this is good enough.”
What we thought
Kowsar and Alex kindly offered us the chance to sample some of their organic dishes, and who were we to refuse?
Alex kindly cooked up a serving of their “Guru’s Fave” pasta, which according to them is also a customer favourite.
The pasta combines tagliatelle made with organic flour along with wild mushrooms, capers and basil in a creamy white truffle sauce.
They really weren’t joking when they said they wanted to bring fine dining at an affordable price, as the pasta costs £9.99 and manages to transport you to the feeling of being in a five-star restaurant.
The pasta is truly delicious without being overwhelmingly creamy and having enough balance of flavour that the truffle doesn’t get to be too much.
I was also offered to try one of their organic smoothies, so I went for “The Invincible” which combines manuka honey, spinach and chia seeds as well as pineapple and mango to make a smoothie that truly feels like a sensory experience.
Many takeaways may promise great taste – but not all of them promise organic ingredients, and that’s what sets Organic Gurus apart here.
It’s not just that the food tastes good, it’s that you know the food is made with high-quality ingredients but at a reasonable price.
