Highlights
- Bhosle opened Asha's Birmingham in 2006 as her first UK restaurant.
- Manager recalls her personal involvement in maintaining every dish and standard.
- Co-owner Paul Bassi CBE vows to keep her legacy and music alive.
Staff at Asha's Indian Restaurant in Birmingham are mourning the loss of their founder Asha Bhosle, the legendary playback singer who died aged 92 in Mumbai following a heart attack.
For those who worked alongside her, the grief runs deeper than losing a cultural icon , they have lost someone who treated the restaurant as her own home and its team as family.
Manager Noumann Farooqi told BBC that Bhosle was "more than an icon to us, she was like a family member." He recalled how she stayed deeply involved in the restaurant's standards despite her global stature.
"She was a very down to earth person despite her high status, always caring and asking about the team and our families," he added. She was never content to simply lend her name to the brand.
"She just wanted to make sure that whatever she was cooking in her kitchen was done the same way in the restaurant," Farooqi added. She regularly travelled to gather fresh ideas to improve the menu and dining experience.
"She always said, 'All of these restaurants are my home, and all the people dining are my guests'. She wanted us to understand that, he added".
Co-owner Paul Bassi CBE described her passing as "an immense loss," saying she was "not only the voice that inspired generations, she was also our beloved founder."
Bassi's vivid comparison captured just how significant her presence felt. "Her coming to our restaurant was a bit like having Madonna and Beyoncé all wrapped up in one," he said.
Since opening on Newhall Street, the restaurant has welcomed celebrities including Tom Cruise, Pink and Ed Sheeran.
The two-time Grammy nominee was cremated at Mumbai's Shivaji Park with full state honours.
Bassi confirmed the restaurant will stay open, continue playing her music and build on everything she created. "She always told us the show must go on," he said.
