The ultimate tandoori takeaway... to India

Glittering success: Levon Gulian with two of the mosaic-decorated ovens his business exports to India
Laura Roberts12 April 2012

You might think Britain has nothing to teach India about its own cuisine. But a London company has started exporting its tandoori ovens to the sub-continent.

The winning ingredient is British clay, which is better suited to the cooking style than that found in India.

The Clay Oven Company, based in Park Royal, has seen an 80 per cent increase over the past year in the number of Shahi Tandoor and Shahi Mosaic ovens it exports to India.

Director Dr Levon Gulian said the clay the company uses - from Stoke - is more durable than that used in traditional tandoori ovens.

The family business, the first western company to sell the tandoori oven, exports all over the world. It was founded in 1974 by Dr Gulian's father Shahi Gulian.

Dr Gulian said: "It's an honour to sell our stock in India. We have provided ovens to hotels and restaurants such as the Oberoi and the Crown Plaza in Delhi. In India the ovens are usually made by one person in each village. We were the first to mass produce them. We have been involved in the Asian restaurant trade since we started.

"Ovens from India often need more clay added after a few months whereas British clay is more durable. We mix it ourselves and have perfected it over 40 years with our special formula. Clay from India tends to crack."

The company has resisted pressure to move its operation to China, where manufacturing costs are lower.

Dr Gulian, 27, who quit his medical career in 2009 to run the family business, said: "We believe in British industry and the skill and quality of the engineers. We're not trying to be the cheapest, we're looking for the best quality."

The ovens range from £1,000 for a back-of-house product up to £5,000 for a decorated mosaic oven for front of house. The company has sold 15 to India this year.

A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven heated by a charcoal or wood fire, and temperatures can approach 480C.

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