About this episode

Glen Leeson shares the journey of building a successful Indian restaurant group in London from humble beginnings.

Glen Leeson, co-founder of The Tamil Prince, The Tamil Crown and Tamila, joins Dan Pope to unpack how one of London’s most talked-about Indian restaurant groups was built from pub pop-ups, second-hand fridges and blind belief. From Patty & Bun’s burger boom to JKS discipline, lockdown hustle, personal guarantees, viral Sunday roasts, Dishoom collabs, delivery strategy and the magic of creating a restaurant that feels alive — this is a proper founder story about graft, taste, timing, luck and learning by doing. 📙Download HUNGRY Big Banging Reading list here 🧾 HUNGRY survey would be so grateful if you may please fill out ON THE MENU: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:08 Patty & Bun’s Wild West 00:05:23 London’s burger boom exploded 00:10:23 Why Tamil became three brands 00:13:12 Failed pub pop-ups and bad fit 00:17:08 Selling the landlord with no money 00:20:11 Opening before the kitchen worked 00:21:49 The review that changed everything 00:27:03 Letting neighbours shape the restaurant 00:30:05 Why blind belief matters 00:33:24 Meeting Prince at Market Halls 00:36:52 The Sheffield fridge road trip 00:40:28 Cooking the first Tamil menu 00:43:23 Pitching from a one-bed flat 00:47:16…

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