Atique Choudhury

{{Short description|English restaurateur and chef (born 1963)}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Atique Choudhury | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = 220px | alt = | caption = | native_name = আতিকু ইসলাম চৌধুরী | native_name_lang = bn | birth_name = Atique Islam Choudhury | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|5|5|df=y}} | birth_place = St Albans, Hertfordshire, England | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | other_names = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = Industrialist, restaurateur, chef | years_active = 1980s–present | employer = | organization = | agent = | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | net_worth = | height = | television = | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | movement = | opponents = | boards = | spouse = Moy Siriret | children = 1 | parents = | relatives = | awards = | website = {{URL|http://www.yumyumthain16.co.uk/}} | footnotes = }}

'''Atique Islam Choudhury''' ({{langx|bn|আতিকুল ইসলাম চৌধুরী}}; born 5 May 1963) is an English restaurateur and chef.

==Early life== Choudhury was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. His parents are Dabirul Islam Choudhury and Khaleda Choudhury.<ref name="bbwhoswho09">{{cite book |last1=Karim|first1=Mohammed Abdul|last2=Karim|first2=Shahadoth|title=British Bangladeshi Who's Who|url=http://www.bbwhoswho.co.uk/whoswho_09.pdf|date=October 2009|publisher=British Bangla Media Group|page=39|access-date=1 August 2013}}</ref>

When Choudhury was young he set up and ran a tuck shop at school that rivalled the school canteen. He built it up and then got told off for being too good at it, since it was taking business away from the school canteen.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |last=Seal|first=Martyn|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2001/may/05/features.jobsmoney2|title=How an Indian collared the Thai business|newspaper=The Guardian|date=5 May 2001|access-date=1 July 2013}}</ref>

==Career== In 1980s, three chefs walked out of Choudhury's parents' south Indian vegetarian restaurant in north east London as they were offered ludicrous money in the short term to build up the competitor's business. Choudhury then ran the kitchen and the business was gradually built back up.<ref name="guardian"/>

In 1984, Choudhury came to Stoke Newington.<ref name="n16mag">{{cite magazine |last=Montague |first=Brendan |url=http://www.n16mag.com/issue3/p4i3.htm |title=Atique Choudhury talks to Tandoori |location=London |magazine=N16 Magazine |date=October 1999 |access-date=1 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204234838/http://www.n16mag.com/issue3/p4i3.htm |archive-date=4 December 2008 |df=dmy }}</ref> After he ran his own Indian restaurant. In 1990, Choudhury and his wife opened a Thai restaurant together called Yum Yum in Stoke Newington. In 1992, because of its popularity he had converted his existing south Indian vegetarian restaurant, Spices, into another Thai restaurant.<ref name="guardian"/> In 1995, he opened Yum Yum in Loughborough.<ref name="catererandhotelkeeper"/>

Choudhury has also established a Thai internet café.<ref name="guardian"/> He created the Asian Oriental School of Catering, which specialised in training and finding employment for young people and providing a high level quality chefs throughout London and the UK.<ref name="bbwhoswho09"/> In 1995, Choudhury co-founded the Thai Restaurants Association.<ref name="catererandhotelkeeper">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/articles/24/10/1996/21167/orient-success.htm |title=Orient success |magazine=Caterer and Hotelkeeper |date=24 October 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308044617/https://www.thecaterer.com/articles/21167/orient-success |archive-date=8 March 2016 |access-date=1 July 2013}}</ref>

Having left school to go straight into work Choudhury returned to education after his businesses were running to do a level four NVQ in restaurant management. He chaired a project called "breaking the log jam" set up by the hotel and catering training foundation which has now established the new NVQ.<ref name="guardian"/>

Choudhury pioneered the Stoke Newington Restaurant Watch. He is governor at Thomas Abney School.<ref name="n16mag"/>

Choudhury is the proprietor of three restaurants in north London, Yum Yum Thai, the Japanese Oishiii and the Mexican Mercado.<ref name="tandoorimagazine">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.tandoorimagazine.com/business/view/Atique_Choudhury_talks_to_Tandoori |title=Atique Choudhury talks to Tandoori |magazine=Tandoori Magazine |date=5 May 2001 |access-date=1 July 2013}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations== Choudhury's personal and business awards include; Egon Ronay's Guide Oriental Restaurants Oriental Chef of the Year 1996,<ref name="catererandhotelkeeper"/> ''Caterer and Hotelkeeper'' Healthy Menu Award 1986, 1999, winner of the Thai Food Festival, Egon Rhonay Oriental Chef of the Year 1999, Hackney Chamber of Commerce award for the best service in business 1999, Thai Select Award for Thai Cuisine, UK Food Service award winner 2000, Arts & Business award in 2001, Thai Trade & Commerce Award for Chef of the Year 2003, LBC 2003 Oriental Restaurant of The Year, ''Archant'' London Restaurant Award, Best Thai Restaurant 2007, Mayor of Hackney Business Awards, Best Business in Hackney 2009, 2006 presented by the Royal Thai Embassy and Buddhapadipa Temple an Honorary Certificate in recognition of his work for the Thai community in the UK, 1997 Finalist Best Thai Restaurant in London (Carlton TV).<ref name="bbwhoswho09"/>

In 2012, Oishiii won Best Japanese Restaurant at the Asian Curry Awards, sponsored by Booker Wholesale.<ref name="asiancurryawards">{{cite web|url=http://www.asiancurryawards.com/9_November_Asian_Curry_Awards_press_launch_release_FINAL.pdf |title=Restaurateur |publisher=Asian Curry Awards |date=9 November 2012 |access-date=1 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121207012639/http://www.asiancurryawards.com/9_November_Asian_Curry_Awards_press_launch_release_FINAL.pdf |archive-date=7 December 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref>

==Personal life== Choudhury is married to Moy Siriret,<ref name="asiancurryawards"/><ref name="studios92">{{cite web|url=http://www.studios92.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/restaurant/yumyum.htm |title=Yum Yum Thai Restaurant |publisher=Studios92.com |access-date=1 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063001/http://www.studios92.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/restaurant/yumyum.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016 |df=dmy }}</ref> who is from Thailand.<ref name="catererandhotelkeeper"/> They have a son, Rishi (born 1988).<ref name="hackneygazette">{{cite news |last=Mohammed |first=Syma |url=https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/mtv-award-winning-singer-conor-maynard-has-dinner-at-stoke-newington-restaurant-1-1950505 |title=MTV award winning singer Conor Maynard has dinner at Stoke Newington restaurant |work=Hackney Gazette |date=22 February 2013 |access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref>

Choudhury is a supporter of Arsenal F.C.<ref name="tandoorimagazine"/>

His father, Dabirul Choudhury, inspired by fellow British fundraiser Captain Tom Moore, embarked on a campaign to walk around his garden a thousand times to raise money for charities during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="eastlondonadvertiser">{{cite news |last=Mohammed |first=Syma |url=https://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/dubiri-choudhury-obe-at-6527982 |title=Queen's Honours: Veteran poet Dabirul gets OBE at age 101 after his thousand garden laps in Bow for NHS|work=East London Advertiser |date=12 October 2020 |access-date=3 February 2021}}</ref> Choudhury supported his father, and made an Iftar cuisine as a celebration. For his efforts, Elizabeth II awarded Dabirul Choudhury an Order of the British Empire.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{div col|colwidth=48em}} *{{Twitter}} *[http://www.yumyumthain16.co.uk/ Yum Yum Thai Restaurant website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130706165344/http://www.yumyum.co.uk/ Yum Yum Thai Restaurant website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130708160758/http://www.oishiii.co.uk/ Oishiii Japanese Eatery website] *[http://www.designweek.co.uk/news/yum-yum-has-a-revamp-by-ignite-and-lifeform/1122991.article Yum Yum has a revamp by Ignite and Lifeform]. ''Design Week''. 24 February 2005 *Tom. [http://www.stereostokey.com/2009/04/oishiii-japan-meets-n16/ Oishiii Japanese Eatery – Japan finally comes to N16]. ''Stereo Stokey''. 20 April 2009 *[http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/oishii Oishii]. ''Time Out''. 11 February 2010 *Halim, Nasreen. [http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/what-s-on/eating-out/restaurant_review_yumyum_stoke_newington_n16_1_2216143 Restaurant review: YumYum, Stoke Newington, N16]. ''Islington Gazette''. 30 May 2013 *Groves, Nancy. [http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/873756.print/ A taste of Thailand]. ''Your Local Guardian'' 10 August 2006 {{div col end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Choudhury, Atique}} Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:English Muslims Category:English people of Bangladeshi descent Category:English restaurateurs Category:English businesspeople Category:British real estate and property developers Category:English industrialists Category:School governors Category:People from St Albans Category:People from Stoke Newington Category:People from Chipping Barnet Category:20th-century Bengali people Category:21st-century Bengali people