The chef and restaurateur was behind the Akbar’s group of restaurants, which operates 10 venues across the north of England, the Midlands, and Scotland.
Announcing his passing on social media, the business stated: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Shabir Hussain, founder of Akbar’s Restaurant Group. Please remember Shabir Hussain in your prayers. May Allah grant him the highest rank in Jannah and bring peace and strength to his family during this difficult time.”
As a mark of respect, all restaurants within the group have temporarily closed and will reopen for dinner on 18 October.
Hussain opened the first Akbar’s in Bradford in 1995, where the 28-cover restaurant became a huge success. The group later expanded to include restaurants in Leeds, Rotherham, Middlesborough, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Birmingham. The group’s latest restaurant opened in Blackburn earlier this year.
Hussain was known as the king of curry and claimed to have invented the ‘naan tree’, a presentation where large naan breads hang from a metal stand placed at the center of a dining table.
The restaurant’s Instagram page has been inundated with messages of condolence. One person remarked, “Shabir was not only a pioneer of the Yorkshire business community but also of Yorkshire. He was a great businessman and restaurateur. My experiences of working with him were always valuable, and he would be the ultimate host in his fantastic restaurants. May he rest in peace.”
