Curry Queen of Milton Keynes bids emotional farewell as she closes down her restaurants

Today (Wednesday March 11) is the final day of trading for Namji restaurant at Wolverton after its counterpart in the Xscape building closed earlier this year.

Owner Naseem Khan founded the vusiness 10 years ago and made it her mission to serve the community and never turn away anyone who was hungry or in need.

But in an emotional farewell video, she tells of how she needs to step back to focus on her health, spend time with her family and .rebuild.

“This decision has not been easy at all, but sometimes you have to step back, regroup, reconnect with your purpose, and come back stronger. People may try to break you, but I believe resilience is everything,” she said.

Naseem acknowledges that the Namji jounrey has not always been an easy one. “Like many people running businesses, especially as a woman and as someone from a minority background, I have faced challenges along the way — including threats and discrimination. But what has always mattered most is that the support from the community has been far greater than the negativity,” she said.

"From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every single person who has supported us over the years. The love, kindness, and memories shared in this place have meant more to me than words can describe.

“Namji has never just been about food. It has been about community, about people coming together, celebrating life, and sharing moments over a meal.

“If someone came through our doors hungry, they would leave with a hot meal and often a food parcel as well. That commitment to helping people will always remain part of who I am.”

Over the past couple of days, Naseem has been busy selling off her stock of meals, all cooked from traditional Punjabi .recipes handed down by her mother, at discount prices to local people,

She is adamant that this will not be the end of Namji, but simply “a moment to pause and rebuild” the Namji brand. “This is not goodbye. Namji will return — and when it does, it will come back stronger,” she said.

Naseem has also vowed to continue to support people in need, saying: “If anyone is struggling and needs help, please message me. I will always do my best to support people while I take this time.”

Namji Restaurant put Milton Keynes firmly on the map for Punjabi cuisine, winning multiple awards at the annual Asian Food &Restaurant Awards (AFRA). Naseem herself won the UK's Curry Queen of the Year title for three consequitive years, in2022, 2023 and 2024.

At the time, Naseem said: “ “I’d love to be able to share the secret behind the success, but the recipes are a Namji secret!” She said, “This title really belongs to my late mother, Munawar Sultana – all the recipes are of her creation, so I accepted the awards on her behalf.

“Food has always been at the heart of our family time, and her passion lives on through Namji.”