For our latest Careers Q&A we chat to Tania Rahman, founder of Indian street-food stall turned restaurant, Chit Chaat Chai. She tells us about Chit Chaat Chai’s humble beginnings, her ambitions for its future and her advice to anyone looking to start out in the industry.
When did you realise you wanted to work in hospitality?
I worked at a London-based software company and it was the best job I had ever had in my life. I started there when it was still a start-up of just six people, and I’ve watched it grow to a team of more than 30. I travelled a lot with them, saw the world, worked with like-minded people and built great friendships. But I come from a family of restaurateurs and I’ve always been a proper foodie at heart!
Where and how did you get your start?
I started sharing my love for Indian street food – or chaat – by opening my own food stall. I worked several markets in the Hampshire area, and slowly graduated to food festivals. After a year of testing the waters, I knew that I was on to something. People loved the food and they could relate to our brand and the type of experience we wanted to create. I took the next big step and started hosting supper clubs in London. Taking a bold leap of faith, I re-mortgaged my house and turned Chit Chaat Chai into a fully-fledged restaurant. We’ve had such great reception from the local community in Wandsworth. It’s amazing to have our customers from our food stall in Hampshire come all the way to London just to dine with us – it’s really been a humbling experience, and one that I am only looking forward to expanding further.
Sum up your current work life in one sentence.
Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.
Who has been really influential on your career and why?
Coming from a family of restaurateurs my Aunty, Rahela, was, and still is, a huge role model in inspiring me to take the plunge into a predominately male dominated industry in hospitality. At the time, it was completely unheard of for a woman and mother, especially from my culture, to be working full-time let alone owning her own award-winning restaurant! She’s had her restaurant since the 1980’s, and like her, it’s still going strong!
What’s next for you?
It has been a dream of mine to start my own restaurant. I wanted to build something new, exciting and fresh for myself rather than taking over something from my family. Ever since I started the food stall, I knew I wanted to go bigger and having a restaurant was always my end goal. Chit Chaat Chai has become a hugely popular award-winning restaurant and people love it. I already have plans to open a second location and plan to launch a cookbook this year too.
What’s your one piece of advice to someone starting out?
Expect to face opposition but learn from it and let it motivate you.
Are there any openings you are looking forward to?
All the Dishoom openings everywhere and anywhere! I’ll be there waiting in the two-hour queue! You can never get bored of that nostalgic atmosphere and buzz.
Where is the most exciting city for hospitality (after London)?
The street food scene in Delhi can’t be beaten for buzz, colour and taste sensations.
Who would you identify as a rising star?
Faye De Souza – she won the Young Chef Award at the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards in 2018. We had the pleasure of working together a couple of years back where she held a supper club at Chit Chaat Chai. Faye drew on her experience at Claridge’s and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal alongside her Goan roots and produced a truly decadent menu.
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