Ghantawala Bihari SamosaSometimes a small beginning lays the foundation for great success. One such inspirational story is that of ‘Ghantwala Bihari Samosa’, which, after originating from Bihar in India via Gujarat, is now making waves in London city of Britain. This is the story of an ordinary man’s hard work, legacy of taste and smart marketing, which has led to long queues of customers outside this restaurant in a country like UK where many businesses are facing economic challenges. Where earlier hardly 3000 customers used to come every day, now this number has increased to more than 10,000.

First of all, let’s talk about the roots of this brand. In the year 1972, a Bihari migrant Kalishaprasad Kishanlal Shah started a small shop in Nadiad city of Gujarat. His family was originally from Bihar, where the taste of samosas is famous in every household. Kalishaprasad ji started making samosas from his mother’s recipe, crispy on the outside, spicy on the inside, filled with potatoes, peas and special Bihari spices. These samosas were so delicious that they soon became popular in Nadiad. The shop was named ‘Ghantwala Bihari Samosa’ because while selling samosas, he used to ring a small bell, which attracted the customers. This bell is still the trademark of his brand. Initially it was just a small stall, but three generations of the family made it big. Today they have many outlets in India, but the real miracle happened in London.

Indian street food in UK

Now coming to the UK story, in the year 2024, the third generation of the family decided to give the world a taste of Bihari samosas. He opened the first outlet in South Harrow, London. Indian street food is already popular in the UK, but the challenges are different. Cold weather, expensive locations, and diverse customer preferences. On top of that, many small businesses are struggling in the UK economy due to rising inflation, supply chain issues, and declining customer base. But Ghantwala Bihari Samosa left all these behind. How? With their smart marketing and unique methods.

The marketing wisdom is amazing!

First of all, he took full advantage of social media. Videos posted on Instagram and TikTok, where shop owners are seen selling samosas in traditional Indian clothes. In a viral video, he was seen selling hot samosas with mint and tamarind chutney in a London underground train. In the video, he jokingly says, ‘People will stop eating croissants and Biharis will eat samosas!’ This video became so viral that it got more than 25 million views. People started reaching the shop laughing. Additionally, they put a lot of emphasis on hygiene, clean stores, fresh materials, and premium packaging. UK customers liked it because food safety is very important there. They also kept the price smart with two samosas priced at £5 (about Rs 500), which is a bit expensive but as per the taste, value for money.

Earning around Rs 8-10 lakh?

Long queues started forming outside the South Harrow shop. People would wait for hours, just to taste one samosa. Initially around 3000 customers used to come every day, but after going viral this number increased to more than 10,000. There was so much demand that they soon opened a second outlet in Wembley. Now it is claimed that they are earning £7,500 to £10,000 (about Rs 8-10 lakh) per day. While many restaurants and street food stalls in the UK are closing down or making losses, this Bihari samosa brand is shining. Customers are not only Indians, but also British, European and people from other countries, who have become crazy about this desi taste.