Author Topic: Ray's Cafe - 26 Bristol Street - anyone remember it?  (Read 878 times)

aerosolarabic

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Ray's Cafe - 26 Bristol Street - anyone remember it?
« on: August 08, 2017, 02:09:54 PM »
Hi,


Can anyone shed any light on Ray's Cafe which was on 26 Bristol Street, from the late 40s / early 50's.   It later went onto becoming the Shah Bagh Indian Restaurant we have found from research and interviews.  It may not be spelt 'Ray's' as it was taken from the owners name 'Rachel' so could be spelt differently.


Does anyone have any memories of Ray's Cafe, did you ever eat there? What did it look like, what was on their menu?  We have heard that they introduced curry onto their menu whilst it was a cafe, before it became an indian restaurant.


We are working on a project called Knights of The Raj - which documents the history of Indian Restaurants in Birmingham, with an exhibition launch next month, which we will be advertising more details about soon!


Many thanks




Mohammed Ali




Phil

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Re: Ray's Cafe - 26 Bristol Street - anyone remember it?
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2017, 04:37:08 PM »
Mohammed

As far as I can see from the historic trade directories from 1940 at least,  when it was a confectioners owned by a Miss B gall it has been described as dining rooms owned by a series of different people who seem to be of Asian origin with names such as Ali Shazid, M Kazee, and Abdul Somed being the one before the premises was named the Shah Bagh in the early 60's.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

aerosolarabic

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Re: Ray's Cafe - 26 Bristol Street - anyone remember it?
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2017, 04:56:10 PM »
this is fantastic.  It all lines up with what we have discovered through interviewing the  son of Muzammil Kazee (owner of the Jinnah).  The owners of Jinnah Restaurant, both Kazee and his wife Rachel owned Ray's Cafe renamed it as Shah Bagh but moved on to open Jinnah Restaurant.


Did you see any reference to Rays Cafe?

Phil

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Re: Ray's Cafe - 26 Bristol Street - anyone remember it?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2017, 05:14:40 PM »
Mohammed

All I can tell you is with the trade directories that I have, is that M Kazee took over the premises between 1945/46 and in all the directories that I have it is just described as Dining Rooms. Though I do not have directories for the years 1950/1955 and M Kaqzee disposed of the premises to Abdul Somed sometime during those years and it goes on being described as Dining Rooms until the name is changed to the Shah Bagh.

I would assume if the name was changed at anytime between 50/55 then it was for too short a time to be recorded in the directory. You could ask Mikejee who might have the directories for the missing years.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.


 

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