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The
remarkable achievements of the team at the helm of Glasgow-headquartered
Harlequin Leisure Group, the largest chain of independent
restaurants in Europe, have been recognised with chief executive
Sanjay Majhu winning the Businessman of the Year award and Harlequin
franchise owner Nasreen Aksi crowned Businesswoman of the Year at the
coveted Scottish Asian Business Awards.
Sanjay
Majhu said, "This is a real cause for double celebrations.
Nasreen and myself are absolutely delighted to receive this
recognition on behalf of the management team and all our hard-working
staff at Harlequin.
"2007
has been a year of expansion at Harlequin and it's great to know
that all the effort put into the growth of the company has not gone
without notice. I'd like to congratulate the whole team at Harlequin
for delivering an award-winning service to our customers."
Since
buying out Charan Gill MBE in an £8 million deal in 2005,
Sanjay and his team have grown Harlequin into a 20-restaurant
enterprise. Over the course of the last year, the group has
diversified from its traditional Indian cuisine base to incorporate
an Italian food court outlet in Dundee and Las Ramblas, a Spanish
tapas restaurant in Bearsden. A range of further openings are planned
over the course of the next 18 months.
A
qualified pharmacist, Sanjay Majhu also owns Apple Pharmacy Group,
which, through an aggressive expansion programme, has grown from
start up four years ago into an £11 million turnover enterprise
with a chain of 13 pharmacies throughout Scotland. His other business
ventures include Starlighting Electrical Wholesale and a range of
residential and commercial property interests.
Amongst
the many accolades Sanjay has received are a Business and Commerce
Excellence Award at the prestigious Asian Jewel Awards whilst his
Apple Pharmacy recently won the Scottish Business Development of the
Year award at the esteemed Scottish Pharmacy Awards.
Businesswoman
of the Year Nasreen Aksi is a Harlequin franchise owner whose three
restaurants are the Ashoka West End, Ashoka Ashton Lane and Spice of
Life - all situated within Glasgow's West End.
Nasreen
Aksi said, "Being crowned Businesswoman of the Year is a
dream come true - and something I'd never expected! I'd like to thank
Sanjay for giving me this tremendous opportunity because if it wasn't
for him, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Last
month Ms Aksi attended a glittering award ceremony at the Grosvenor
Park Lane in London to collect a trophy at the British Curry Awards
2007 for the Ashoka Ashton Lane - the only restaurant in Glasgow to
be nominated for this prestigious award.
Together
with an expanding property portfolio, her Aski Restaurants now has a
turnover in excess of £2 million.
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