Well-known face in Morpeth opens new restaurant in Cramlington

The DhamaKa at the Brockwell Centre in Cramlington is the latest in a line of restaurants and takeaways his family has owned and operated across Northumberland and Tyneside for more than 50 years.

The first one, opened by his brother Mohammed Abdul Baki, was one of the very first Indian restaurants in Newcastle.

In 1983, Abdul himself branched out when he opened his Morpeth Tandoori takeaway opposite The Chantry. Over the years, it has built up a loyal following of customers – not just from the town, but across the region.

He said: “People have been asking me for a long time why I had not opened a restaurant, so we have taken the plunge and done that with DhamaKa.

“As family businesses, we have always followed the principle of using only the finest and freshest ingredients sourced locally, where possible, in our dishes that are flavoured by our own unique blends of herbs and spices to recreate the most authentic and classical Indian dishes. And this is exactly what we will do in our new Cramlington restaurant.”

The 60-seater restaurant is open six days a week (closed on Tuesdays) from 5.30pm onwards. It is being managed by his nephew Salam, who also runs the popular Mumbai Flavours and SherKhan restaurants in Alnwick.

Over the last 40 years, Abdul has become a popular and well-known figure in Morpeth. He has supported many local organisations and charities through his fundraising activities.

He said: “Since I came to Morpeth, the town has very much become my home – so it gives me great pleasure to support my own local community in whatever way I can as a way of giving something back in return for the support my business has received.”

His charity efforts continued at the new DhamaKa restaurant when he and his family organised a charity launch evening, which raised £1,000 for the Thomas Bewick School in Newcastle that educates and cares for children and young people with autism.