'It's our passion': 20-year-old twins follow in father's footsteps by opening restaurant in village near Dudley
Twin brothers Sameen and Ihsaan Ali are following in their father's footsteps by opening their own restaurant in a Black Country village.
As children, the twins watched their father Ali Azad run the popular Spices Indian restaurant in Dudley Street, Sedgley, helping out alongside other family members as they grew older.
Now Ali has retired, the twins are launching their own restaurant which opens tomorrow in a prominent former bank building.
Flavours, a 45-seat Indian restaurant in the former Barclay's Bank in the village's Bull Ring, opens today (Wednesday).
"We have done all the building work ourselves," said Sameen.
"The building has proper heritage," added Ihsaan, "It's been in Sedgley for the best part of 150 years."
Sameen says that being young gives the brothers a youthful perspective.
"We will cater for everyone, but being young means we know what the next generation is looking for from a restaurant, we bring that bit of modern flair," he said.
"We're passionate about food, and we bring with us a young mindset."
Ihsaan said that although the brothers were raised in Wednesbury, they had spent much of their childhood at the restaurant and felt a very close affinity to Sedgley.
"We wanted to be in Sedgley to serve the people that have served us so well over the years. They're really great people, and the community has been so supportive of us."
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