Pakistani couple making waves with 'matka chai' in UK

LONDON: A Pakistani couple from Karachi has taken a rare initiative in London, not only popularising matka chai in the UK but also helping match-making, reuniting families and friends, and creating a space where discussions around life take place.

Imran Gulzar and Iqra Zahoor's outlet Cha Sha, doesn't just sell matka Chai (strong tea) across London but is also a place where South Asian communities unite over their shared love of matka chai.

Moreover, regular events, such as chand raat gatherings, Pakistani and Indian independence day celebrations, live singing, live ghazal singing, and New Year's Eve countdown, allow families to enjoy themselves over a cup of chai.

Gulzar and Zahoor married in London in 2017 and decided to start a unique business for people living in the UK.

They decided to sell chai, as hardly any places were selling it in London's several Asian areas.

With lots of nerves, they opened their first branch with the name of "Cha Sha" — a reference to how millions of South Asians daily ask each other about chai, whether one wants to have a cup of chai, sit together and chat.

The joint is only a few minutes walk from Wembley Stadium, home to football matches and large-scale concerts — no better place to engage over a cup of tea.

Before the Karachi couple decided to start their café brand and turn it into a popular household name, Asian chai or karak chai was also sold by another franchise; however, it lacked the traditional dhaba touch.

The Pakistani couple started their Cha Sha cafes with traditional Pakistani and Indian truck art designs and décor of the restaurants capturing the true spirit of chai dhabas in Pakistan and India — colourful truck designs, matkas, antique utensils, mouth-watering desserts and snacks of rural and urban Asian culture.

The seating arrangements and furniture inside and outside the venues for the chai lovers to sit and enjoy their chai while listening to Coke Studio songs to remind them of their culture back home.

Gulzar, originally from Karachi, is the mastermind behind this brand.

He pursued his undergraduate studies at Karachi University before venturing into media marketing.

He gained recognition in the artist management field while working for renowned Pakistani TV channels.

Later, he relocated to London, where he met his wife and business partner.

Zahoor is a criminologist and the first Pakistani woman to complete a master's degree in international defence and security from the UK Ministry of Defence.

Within days of opening their first branch of Cha Sha, the concept became an instant hit on social media. Londoners from across the city started flocking to the venue to taste the chai and refresh memories from back home.

Their legend grew, and within weeks, there were queues outside the shop, and demand for the matka chai (strong tea) increased.

Chai is usually cooked with water, milk and sugar; however, Gulzar and Zahoor added their special ingredient to the tea and introduced matka chai and the Cha Sha blend, which is very popular amongst the younger generation.

South Asians have been drinking chai for over 5,000 years, but it is prepared differently in different regions and households, even though the basic concept remains the same.

However, Gulzar and Zahoor used a unique way of serving chai in matkas, as in Pakistan and India, to give it the authentic taste and feel of the real desi chai taste.

Gulzar explained: "We made the decision to open our inaugural branch in Wembley, a locality known for its significant South Asian population. Surprisingly, our customer base began to grow rapidly, largely due to the power of social media and the support of those who recommended us within their networks."

"Our clientele expanded beyond London with customers coming from various cities — a truly joyous milestone for us. Chai is mainly a popular beverage in India and Pakistan and is drunk as a favourite pastime as well as a necessity in every south Asian gathering."

Gulzar said that currently, the couple is running four Cha Sha branches; around 10 more are near completion in various parts of the country.

He said: "Every branch has around 8-10 team members. We're very excited to expand our team with the opening of our new branches by the end of this year. We work as a family as Cha Sha signifies unity and care."

Gulzar said the unique concept of making and branding Cha hit off well.

He shared: "Our model had a unique concept of serving tea in Matkas here in the UK as that was seen previously in rural areas of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Not only could our customers drink from it but they can only take those Matkas home as a souvenir to remind them of their visit to Cha Sha."

"This was our way of giving back to society and reducing carbon emissions by not using any plastic in our cafes. The leftover Matkas are buried in soil and after 30 days they turn back into soil."

He said he orders thousands of matkas each month from Karachi, shipped through containers.

"Most of the people who visit to drink Cha are South Asian, but people of all ethnicities enjoy the taste of our tea and snacks as we offer a wide variety of beverages and all the popular street food found in India and Pakistan," the entrepreneur added.

Asked how he wants to keep his unique element, Gulzar said the couple had worked hard to keep their brand welcoming and customer friendly.

He said: "We like to listen to what people want and introduce new drinks and snacks according to their liking."

"In western countries there is a huge Pub concept where families would go and spend hours socialising and enjoying their food and drinks; however, the Asian community always struggled to find such spots."

"So we have tried introducing a halal Pub where people can come with their children, elders and relatives and socialise over tea and snacks. We have also tried helping those in need."

"It is our policy to give tea for free to anyone in need. If any customer walks into any of our cafés and does not have the means to pay for chai, we offer them the tea with no questions asked."

Zahoor shared that groups of women visit the place in the evening to hold talks and have fun.

She said she was delighted to find when couples turned up to meet her, revealing that they had exchanged numbers for the first time at the Cha Sha and married.

"There are groups of South Asian women who meet here, discuss their issues, their families and have developed strong support networks. Some of them do committees where they put money in a kitty and help each other save."

"There are regular poetry and book exchange sessions." She said she could count over a dozen couples who became life partners through their shared love of Cha at their venue.

Many visitors and customers to Cha Sha are students from South Asian countries who enjoy Cha in groups and relive the memories of back home.

For them, it's a way of socialising, networking, and taking a trip down memory lane.

Gulzar and Zahoor plan to take their unique brand to every city in the UK. They are already in discussions with business people in several European countries with significant Indian and Pakistani diaspora who believe in having Cha in their lives.

Their philosophy is simple: "English go to pubs to unwind and relax, have a pint of beer, wine or whisky. Our people don't go to pubs and the right place for them to relax, unwind and gossip is a Chai Dhabba. Both serve the same objective."