A restaurant owner in Sutton Coldfield has revealed how he has transformed the business after buying it off previous owners who conned the taxman out of £800.000.

Businessman Mehtab Hussain took over Panache in Birmingham Road when the previous owners were put behind bars or received suspended jail terms in 2018 for a series of tax scams.

Mr Hussain is not connected in any way to the case, which has seen one of the former owners ordered to pay £110,940 within 28 days or will face a further 12 months in prison.

Yet he said he has lost bookings from customers who wrongly believed he was connected to the case - but he was keen to set the record straight.

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Mehtab took over Panache in March 2019 after negotiations with the disgraced former owners. Since then he said he had changed the menu to become more of a fine-dining experience.

And he has done this all while holding down a full-time job with the NHS as a management accountant.

The 29-year-old, who lives in the town near Good Hope Hospital, said he works ‘100-hour weeks’ in a dual capacity for the NHS and also running his ‘dream business’.

Fine dining cuisine from north India is on offer at Panache in Sutton Coldfield
Fine dining cuisine from north India is on offer at Panache in Sutton Coldfield

He told BirminghamLive: “When I saw the story I negotiated with the previous owners to buy the business. I said ‘if you’re interested to sell, I’m happy to buy’.

“I took over in March 2019. That’s the only time I dealt with them.

“I have lived in Sutton for 12 or 13 years and worked in fine dining restaurants like Asha’s and Shimla Pinks. I have also used to manage Five Rivers in Walsall.

“And this place came up five minutes from where I live.

“I always wanted my own place. I also have a full-time job as a chartered accountant for the NHS. I work 9 to 5 there and then work at the restaurant. I do 100 hours a week!

He continued: “We kept must of the staff on when I took over.

“We then had a bit of a difficult transition period and relaunched during the Covid pandemic on July 4 [Super Saturday in 2020].

“We have gone from serving Balti curries to fine dining with smoke machines and dry ice!

“It’s more than fine dining and its upmarket.

“We have a new chef from Delhi, who used to be the head chef at Shimla Pinks.”

Panache owner, Mehtab Hussain, with his brother Majid who manages the Sutton Coldfield restaurant
Panache owner, Mehtab Hussain, with his brother Majid who manages the Sutton Coldfield restaurant

Panache’s menu is based on north Indian cuisine Mehtab said.

It has a range of ‘traditional’ starters including ‘famous street snack’ Kurkure Onion Bhaji, Paneer Shashlick – Indian cottage cheese marinated and roasted on a skewer and Khas Seekh Kebab – ‘the nation’s favourite lamb kebabs’.

And dishes ‘with panache’ including Sikampur – a Hyderabadi roadside speciality – ‘hand-made succulent minced chicken patties, stuffed with green peppers, herbs and a cheese filling’. And seafood dishes including Vermicelli Crab – deep-fried and spiced with fresh ginger, chilli and lime.

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In line with its fine-dining aim there is a ‘game and seafood’ menu, with dishes including Panjim sea bass – a fish curry from Goa. And Clementine Duck, pan-seared with a ‘citrus-infused spicy sauce’.

There are more familiar curry dishes like Chicken Jalfrezi and Old Delhi Butter Chicken or Lucknow Lamb Rogan Josh. As well as a tandoor menu including chicken, lamb, salmon and prawn versions.

The venue also has an extensive vegetarian menu with seven main course dishes from Daal Makhani – black lentils and kidney beans. To Aloo Matar Gobi - florets of fresh cauliflower and potatoes ‘cooked in a fusion of herbs and spices’.

Favourite side dishes from naans to pilau rice are also on offer.

Mehtab and Majid Hussain with their staff at Panache in Sutton Coldfield
Mehtab and Majid Hussain with their staff at Panache in Sutton Coldfield

Mehtab owns the business – Panache Catering Services Limited - and his brother, Majid, 25, from Perry Barr, a property manager by trade, manages it.

The duo had to cope with the pandemic which saw the restaurant forced to close for 10 months during three lockdowns and Birmingham’s Tier 3 status in December.

Mehtab said: “We haven’t had a full run at doing things. We had the first lockdown in March last year and reopened in July and did really well, especially during Eat Out to Help Out.

“We were closed down in November and did around 200 takeaways a week after building up a reputation but we were just keeping our head above water.

“We took over from such a bad time and story for the business. The previous owners have no connection to us

“We wanted a restaurant, a business, it was our dream..
“We wanted to show our skills – what we had learned from working in restaurants, while at university.

“We have taken on a lot of young staff to train them up. My younger brother TJ who is 16, he’s probably ready to run the restaurant!

“We hope people will support us as we promise to offer good food and good service.”

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