Thanks to 4 decades of hard work and dedication by the Majothi family, Bristol’s Sweet Mart has grown from unpresuming origins to the biggest purveyor of ethnic foods and spices in the South West.
From the outside, Bristol’s Sweet Mart looks like any other family-run supermarket, albeit far more colourful. Step inside and you will be met with the heady aroma of spices and freshly cooked delights. From the bustling Marrakech souk to the colourful Indian street market, you’ll find yourself transported to far flung corners of the world; with everything you need to recreate global flavours at home housed under one roof. Stocking over 9000 products, including their own line of spices blended here in the UK, it’s hardly surprising that Sweet Mart is often referred to as the ‘Aladdin’s cave of food’ by its many loyal customers.
Sweet Mart wasn’t always the foodie hub it is today; the story behind its 40 years of success is one of modest origins. Kassam Majothi and his family were among thousands of Ugandan Asians who were forced to flee their homes by Idi Amin. They arrived in Bristol as refugees in 1972 and set about forging a new life for themselves in their adopted home. Shortly after arriving in the UK, they opened an Indian takeaway, spice and sweet shop, where they worked gruelling hours, often 7 days a week. Finally, the family discovered a niche in the market and in 1978 they opened Sweet Mart on a shoestring budget of £100. Spices and ethnic ingredients were hard to come by in the quantities needed for home cooking and their unique offerings proved to be an instant hit with Bristol’s foodie sector. Four decades on, Sweet Mart brings together products from all seven continents and is still very much a family affair.
Today, Majothi’s sons have taken their father’s commercial reins and work together to keep the family business running smoothly. Abdul heads up retail, while Salim is responsible for the wholesale. Younis works on IT and admin, and brother Rashid casts a watchful eye over proceedings. Over at Sweet Mart’s popular delicatessen, Rashid’s wife, Tehseen, acts as Head Chef. She cooks up authentic Indian food made from recipes passed down from family elders and utilises a special slow cooking method which “allows the ingredients to infuse and work their magic”. Tehseen then stirs in Sweet Mart’s own blend of spices to bring the dishes together. The result? Fragrant curries, fresh dhokla, hot biryani and spicy fritters, ready to be taken away and enjoyed at home.
Now celebrating their 40th anniversary, Abdul Gani Ismail reflects on the success of his family’s business: “I think it’s our family touch, knowledge and personal service that has enabled us to grow over the past 4 decades,” he explains, “Community is at the heart of what we do. Recently, we helped feed 3,500 people for Grand Iftar (the breaking of the Ramadan fast). It was a huge success and we look forward to continuing to work with the Bristol community and beyond.”