LONDON: What do you fancy eating tonight? Indian, Chinese, Korean — or what about Palestinian? The last option may not currently be easy to find in the UK because restaurants serving this cuisine are few and far between.
That is a situation Ali Yousef, owner and manager of Baity Palestinian Kitchen in the affluent village of Didsbury on the outskirts of Manchester, northwest England, wants to change. Speaking to Arab News he said: “Anybody out there wanting to open a Palestinian restaurant, please come and see me. I want to see one opening on every corner. I will give you every bit of advice you need and support you.”
He explained that as “a child of the diaspora” he grew up listening to stories about Palestine which his family had to flee in the aftermath of the 1967 Six- Day War. They crossed into Jordan for what they assumed would be a few weeks. In fact, they never returned, moving on instead to Kuwait, only to have to flee again when Saddam Hussein invaded in the Gulf War.
At just a few months old, Ali Yousef arrived in the UK but he grew up in a family that treasures their Palestinian culture in all its aspects, including the food. He credits his father particularly with instilling a love of the dishes of his homeland.
“Palestine was a bedtime story for us growing up as kids, and for my parents it was reminiscing about good memories and times,” he said.
In 2010, while still a student at Manchester Metropolitan University where he studied law, Yousef set out to explore his roots. He travelled to his father’s village of Tal near Nablus where he developed a special bond with his great aunt.
“That was the moment a spark was lit and I connected immediately. I knew I needed to find a way to preserve our heritage and channel it and educate people about it. With my love and passion for food, I set my sights on establishing a restaurant. I am proud of it and I believe food is just as an important a tool as anything else when it comes to sharing our culture,” he said.
Baity, which is “My Home” in Arabic, opened in 2018 and has expanded to include a catering business much in demand for weddings, birthdays and corporate events.
The restaurant seats 30 and Yousef sees people from every ethnicity and religion enjoying his Levantine hospitality.
They tuck into delicious dishes such as Gazan Prawns and the award-winning Musakhan Chicken. Another big draw is his Sunday Roast which sees the classic British trimmings, including Yorkshire pudding, served with his nine-hour roasted shoulder of Jericho Lamb.
In partnership with his wife, Yousef makes a point of giving back to the community. In 2021, Baity Palestinian Kitchen helped welcome Afghan refugees evacuated to the UK. In liaison with Manchester Council and Islamic Relief it provided 1,000 meals, using hastily studied Afghan recipes, served to the refugees as they disembarked at Manchester Airport.
Their plight “struck a chord,” Yousef explained, “because we had had the same experience of having to leave our country at a moment’s notice.”
