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A popular Leeds pub welcomed a new Indian kitchen into its premises two years ago.

A hit among both existing pubgoers and new customers, Maisha Spice in the Mexborough Arms, Thorner, is now looking to expand its services.

Owner Chuton Miah opened Maisha Spice, named after his daughter, in 2021. He was approached by the pub’s owner to serve Indian cuisine at the venue and said his three-decades worth of experience in the food industry made him an ideal candidate for this project.

Mexborough Arms supplies the drinks while Maisha Spice serves the food – and the menu is expansive. It includes everything from Indian classics, British favourites and street food to Sirloin steaks, chicken nuggets and omelettes.

Chuton Miah, manager of Maisha Spice with the team at The Mexborough Arms, in Thorner. It serves Indian food alongside English cuisines - including steaks. Photo: Tony Johnson

Maisha Spice caters to the needs of every customer, whether that’s altering the spice levels of dishes, cooking up something off the menu or adapting menus to make dishes vegan or gluten free.

Chuton promises good and friendly customer service in a clean and laidback space and says customers are not pressured to order full meals at the restaurant.

He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “They can just have a quick snack and then just have a pint or something like that. It's no problem at all. It's a nice small, cosy restaurant.”

And customers have been nothing but supportive, leaving glowing recommendations on TripAdvisor and Google which are pulling in new customers.

Chuton Miah, manager of Maisha Spice at The Mexborough Arms in Thorner, said people who come through the restaurant's doors are like "family" to him. Photo: Tony Johnson

“I appreciate all the people that have supported me over the past two years,” Chuton added. “We're giving the right service so obviously people keep coming back. All the people are like family to me. I can support them by giving them the right food and the right service.”

Maisha Spice has recently extended its delivery radius to bring in new customers and share its food with more areas of Leeds. The venue also offers catering services.

Chuton said: “We will be trying our best to keep our customers happy and giving what our customers need.

“When you have your own business, you need to put the effort into it. You need to put the time in to grow the business in need. You need to keep an eye on the business to see if everything is doing the right job. People do make mistakes, but by mistakes you learn.”

And the business is only “getting better” and Chuton is looking to open his own independent restaurant in due time with his sons, who also work at the restaurant.

Maisha Spice Thorner: Meet the owner of the Leeds restaurant offering steaks and Indian cuisine