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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP
Asian Voice |27th February 2016
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Surj Virk
Surj Virk is the Founder and Managing Director of a brand new ale craft brewed to complement spiced foods and Indian cuisine – Empress Ale. Developing a passion for real ale and craft beers he became frustrated with the limited choice of lager when visiting his favourite Indian restaurants. Determined to develop a new drink that complemented his favourite dishes Surj set to work with chefs, restaurateurs and master brewers to come up with the perfect Ale for spiced foods. After over a year of research, testing, tweaking and sampling - Empress Ale was born. Having worked in the political field, Surj also works for the City Mayor in Leicester looking after policy and projects of political importance. He was responsible for the formation of the King Richard III VC Trust and was also a member of the Bishop of Leicester’s Commission on Poverty, which presented a report to the House of Lords highlighting poverty issues affecting local people and communities. 1. What is your current position? I am the founder and managing director of Empress Ale - A brand new Ale craft brewed to complement spiced foods, mainly Indian cuisine. Following my frustrations of only being offered lager at my favourite restaurants I decided to develop my own craft ale that truly complements Indian cuisine. 2. What are your proudest achievements? There are two that I am particu-
larly proud of. 1. Making my initial idea for the Ale become a reality. 2. My Ale getting a seal of approval from two of my culinary heroes - Michelin Stared Atul Kochhar and Cyrus Todiwala – both of whose restaurants officially stock Empress Ale. 3. What inspires you? What inspires me is seeing individuals who are able to overcome obstacles in whatever form they appear and still achieve what they originally set out to
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I get the chance to w o r k a n d m e e t w i t h such a diverse range of individuals – from Michelin s t a r e d
do. People with self-belief who achieve success no matter how difficult, is something I admire and take inspiration from on a daily basis.
4. What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? When starting this new business and venture inevitably there have been a number of obstacles. For me it is more about how you deal with these obstacles that defines you. I truly believe that there is always a solution to a situation; you just have to think beyond the conventional. 5. Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? My parents. I have learnt a lot from both. They, from an early age instilled the ethics of hard work and determination. My father passed away when my siblings and I were young but my mother worked incredibly hard to ensure we had everything we needed as a family. 6. What is the best aspect about your current role?
celebrity chefs through to craft beer enthusiasts. Everyday feels so exciting as I don’t know who or what is around the corner next! 7. And the worst? Time. I sometimes feel there are not enough hours in the day. I am my own worst enemy as I am impatient when it comes to results and expect a lot of myself, but I know we are all human and can only do so much within a day.
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8. What are your long term plans? I want to see the Empress Ale brand/business grow and expand to give people a real alternative to lager when visiting their favourite Indian restaurants. I never take anything for granted so am determined to enjoy time with my wife and daughter and learn from the journey and challenges ahead. 9. If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? I would commit more resources to the NHS to make it sustainable for our future generations. The NHS is an institution to be very proud of the world over. It is a service we all rely on in times of need and should safeguard for the future. 10. If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? For me it would have to be Leonardo Da Vinci. I would have so many questions to ask him. Here is an individual so ahead of his time; a prime example of a universal genius and I would love the opportunity to listen to his thoughts on life.
Parents demand answers from police after son’s Two teenage girls missing from Slough body left unidentified in morgue A police watchdog has launched an inquiry into how the body of a missing teenager lay unidentified in a morgue for more than two months after he was found in the Thames. The family of Krishna Chummun, 19, say the Met faces a series of questions over its handling of the case, including why they were not told of their son’s death. Krishna Chummum disappeared last August after playing football with friends and was reported missing by his family in Edmonton. His body was later recovered from the Thames near the London Eye in October. In November Met officers issued a missing persons appeal, not realising his body was lying in the morgue. His distraught family were only told the body had been identified on Boxing Day as that of their son.
Parents Chandra and Medha Chummun
His parents, Chandra and Medha Chummun, have criticised the missing persons inquiry, saying officers as-sumed Krishna had committed suicide because he sent a text from his phone saying he planned to kill himself. They accept he had been depressed after a row with his girlfriend but believe there is a possibility he was murdered. The family claim an elderly neighbour witnessed Krishna being beat-
en up by a gang outside their home on the night he disappeared. However, the 81-year-old woman died before she could be interviewed by police. Speaking to the Evening Standard, Chandra, 51, said: “He was always jovial and happy. I am a psychiatric-trained nurse and if my son was suicidal I would have known. He was full of life. We believe from day one that the police did not take this case seriously. They
just put it down as a suicide and did not investigate.” Medha, 47, said: “My son has been treated unfairly. I want justice for him because I assure you there is no possibility of him committing suicide. The police have not done enough.” The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it had launched an inquiry into the case, and would examine the family’s claim that they were not taken seriously because of their race. Scotland Yard says there were serious difficulties in identifying the student because his body was severely decomposed after being in the water for so long, and because he had been wearing a different shoe size and clothes to the football kit he was wearing when he was missing. He was eventually identified through DNA analysis.
Concern for missing Newhaven woman Police are concerned for the welfare of a missing woman from Newhaven. Fatima Mohamed-Ali went missing from her home in Park Drive Close last Friday (February 12), police have said. The 52-year-old is believed to have left her house on foot sometime between 7.30am and 3.15pm, leaving her handbag and other personal items behind.
Police said she has been described as Indian, 5’ 2”, of slim build with shoulder-length black hair worn in a ponytail. She is also believed to be wearing traditional Indian dress. An initial appeal resulted in a sighting of her being reported in Avis Road around 8am on Friday, but she has not been seen since. The caller reported that she
Fatima Mohamed-Ali
was wearing a beige coat and her family has confirmed that a coat of this description is missing from their home. Inspector Dan Eagle said: “Fatima’s family are understandably very worried about her and we have launched a full search for her in the Newhaven area, supported by volunteers from Sussex Search and Rescue (SusSAR).”
Saima Sadique (left) and Jaspreet Sahota
Two teenage girls have gone missing from Slough. Saima Sadique, 16, from Slough was last seen at 8.30pm last Sunday in Belfast Avenue wearing a waist length black coat with a fluffy hood, white trainers and blue jeans. Saima is described as Asian, 5ft 1in, with light brown shoulder length hair with blonde highlights. She has a pierced tongue and pierced ears. Jaspreet Sahota, 15, from Slough was last seen at 2.30pm in Oatlands Drive wearing a grey dress, cream coloured coat and
black leggings. She is also described as Asian, 5ft 3ins. Saima has links to Bedfordshire, Birmingham and Windsor. Jaspreet is not known to have links outside the Slough area. Investigating officer, sergeant Daniel Simpson from Slough police station said: “We are concerned for both Saima and Jasprett’s welfare and would ask anyone who may have seen them or know of their whereabouts to get in contact with Thames Valley Police on 101 as a matter of urgency.”
BBC pays price for keeping cabbies waiting Taxi waiting time charge could be giving BBC taxing time as the corporation’s staff ran up a bill of over £50,000 by leaving cabs waiting last year. According to a report in The Times, the media giant incurred the waiting charges on 9,925 taxi bookings and consequently, had to pay £23,014 for 1,520 cars cancelled when
they arrived at the pick-up point. The figures, released in response to a freedom of information request, cover cabs booked via BBC’s centralised system but not those claimed back through expenses or associated with the production of its news, TV and radio output, the report said.