Glasgow, Scotland — Madras Cafe, the award-winning Indian restaurant now based on Stockwell Street in Glasgow city centre, has seen its co-owners, Altaf Hossain and Executive Chef Shabu Natarajan, named as Curry Ambassadors for Glasgow City Centre – a title recognising their contribution to Scotland’s curry scene and their role in shaping the standards and reputation of Indian dining in the UK.
Curry ambassadors have been appointed by Curry Cnct across the UK to champion local curry restaurants, share their area’s food culture, and celebrate the country’s curry heritage. For Hossain and Natarajan, the recognition marks a milestone in a journey that began not with ambition for profit, but with a simple commitment to quality.
“The thing about Madras Cafe, we started it from the core of our heart… because the starting wasn’t for making money. Serving good food, quality food. That was the main purpose,” says Hossain.
Madras Cafe opened its doors in 2020, a year that tested the entire hospitality industry. Despite the challenges, the restaurant built around a takeaway-style model found its footing quickly, winning over locals through word of mouth.
“They [the customers] love it. And they started sharing via word of mouth, and Madras Cafe was vibrant and thriving,” Hossain explains. “We’re glad it’s been loved by the Glaswegians and people around the country, even some international guests too!”
At the heart of that success is a kitchen built on quality produce, pairing Scottish meat and fish with spices and techniques rooted in Indian tradition. For Executive Chef and Co-Owner Shabu Natarajan, that standard traces back to his childhood by the sea.
“My childhood, we were very close to the sea. Just a five-minute walk from the sea. So from childhood, I helped my mother [in the kitchen] and know how to make fish and the taste of the freshest fish,” says Natarajan, who learned early what freshness should taste like — a standard he refuses to compromise on in his own kitchen today.
As demand grew, so did the need for more space. Madras Cafe’s new city centre premises more than double the seating capacity of its previous site, with a bolder, more inviting setting designed to support the restaurant’s next chapter. The move hasn’t been without its hiccups — despite repeated reminders on social media, some loyal customers still turn up at the old address.
“Please visit us in the new premises. We are not at the old address anymore,” Hossain notes.
Set in a striking new location and decorated with a growing list of awards and accolades, Madras Cafe’s selection as a curry ambassador comes as little surprise to those familiar with the restaurant’s rise.
“It feels fantastic. It feels like we’ve been recognised, and recognition always gives you encouragement. I was overjoyed when I heard the news,” Hossain says. “We’re proud of our team. I mean, being a curry ambassador is fantastic. Glasgow is a home of curry.”
Regional curry ambassadors act as champions for local curry restaurants across the UK, sharing their area’s unique food culture and helping shape the future of The Curry Scene. The role also celebrates Scotland’s rich and growing curry heritage — a heritage Madras Cafe now proudly represents in Glasgow.
