A SOLIHULL couple are celebrating 20 years in the kitchen with their famous restaurant.
The husband and wife team, Juree and Torquil Chidwick, now have five restaurants to their name across the midlands, including Solihull, Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Since opening its doors in Moseley back in 2004, Sabai Sabai (which means ‘chill and relax’) has been a fixture on the Birmingham dining scene.
Juree Chidwick, said: “My heart has always been in Thailand, and with most of family working as chefs or owning restaurants over there, it seemed only natural to open a restaurant and bring a little bit of Thailand to the West Midlands.
Torquil, who was born and raised in Moseley and Juree, were both straight out of Bradford University when they started their business, and knew it wasn’t always going to be plain sailing.
He said: “Running a small restaurant was a huge learning curve, we had to enlist the help of our families to help get the business off the ground.
“Our Chef, Suvanna, is Juree’s mother, and she ran the kitchen for a year whilst my brother, Ciaran, worked front of house.”
Last year, despite extortionate business rates and the cost of living crisis, they opened their fifth restaurant in the couple’s home town of Solihull, much to the delight of the borough’s Thai food fans.
Torquil said: “Our restaurants have been the backdrop for countless celebrations, from birthdays and anniversaries to graduations and engagements.
“We take great pride in being more than just a place to dine; we are a community hub where memories are made and shared. We’re so happy that Sabai Sabai has done so well and hope that we are able to continue to grow over the next 20 years.”
The pair have also won a string of awards along the way, Juree won Entrepreneur of the Year at the West Midlands Women of the Year Awards 2016, Best Restaurant at The Birmingham Awards, Best Oriental Restaurant 2016 and 2017 and were nominated again for the Midlands Food Drink and Hospitality Awards 2018.
Juree said: “To celebrate the 20th anniversary we will be hosting special events and promotions throughout the year, including exclusive tasting menus, and celebratory events.
“We hope our customers will continue their support and join us in raising a glass to the past 20 years and toasting many more to come.”
