53 Years of Sharmilee on Belgrave Road

Walk along Leicester’s Golden Mile and you’ll find no shortage of Indian sweet shops and restaurants. But step inside Sharmilee, and you’re walking into a piece of Belgrave Road history. For more than five decades, the Gosai family has been serving freshly made sweets, savouries and vegetarian dishes from the same spot, and this December marks 53 years since they first opened their doors.

We had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Ashish Gosai, the third generation of the family to run the business. Ashish’s grandfather Laxman Gosai founded Sharmilee in December 1973, before handing it on to his sons, Ashish’s father Sudhir and his uncle’s Suresh and Mukesh. Following the passing of Ashish’s father Sudhir and Uncle Suresh, Ashish now manages the day-to-day running of the business, while his cousins Nirmal and Alkesh work behind the scenes on everything from social media to new menu ideas.

The family’s story begins in Morpur, a small village on the outskirts of Jamnagar in Gujarat. Ashish’s grandfather was a talented cook, and he was recruited to work as a chef in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on a modest wage and the promise of a raise once the business took off. His cooking drew the crowds, but when the raise never came, he walked away. With a few tables, a few chairs and the help of his family, he began cooking on the street. Customers followed, and before long he had saved enough to open the Dar es Salaam Hotel in Tanzania, which ran successfully for 30 years.

When the family later settled in Leicester, they arrived with very little. Nine of them lived in two small rooms above a corner shop near Belgrave Road, sleeping on mattresses on the floor. The children worked long shifts in a local factory and handed their wage packets to their father, who saved every penny towards a new venture. In 1973, a small unit on Belgrave Road came up, and Sharmilee was born.

The business quickly made its mark. The family were among the first to bring Gujarati-East African cooking to Belgrave Road, introducing dishes like dosas and pani puri long before they became common along the street. When the shop next door became available, Ashish’s grandfather didn’t hesitate. He bought it, extended the premises and opened a vegetarian restaurant upstairs. Now Sharmilee is one of the oldest independent businesses on Belgrave Road.

Today, the ground floor is a sweet mart and savoury shop, filled with freshly made jalebis, dhokla, samosas, kachoris and all the traditional snacks you’d find in a Gujarati household. Remarkably, many of the kachoris are still rolled by hand by the same family members who were making them 30 years ago. The Punjabi samosa is the bestseller, packed with a blend of masalas that sets it apart, while the dal kachori is another firm favourite. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, look out for dal vada served with coconut chutney, a speciality the family was famous for back in Dar es Salaam. Then there is African fusion chevdo, a sticky, sweet and sour mix that Ashish describes as something you’ll either love or hate. It now travels across the country through Sharmilee’s next-day online delivery, with plenty of orders heading to London.

“I’ve served people who used to come with their granddad, and now they’re coming with their kids,” Ashish said.

Upstairs, the fully vegetarian restaurant opens at midday with a buffet of more than 25 dishes made fresh every day. Many dishes are also naturally vegan, and an allergen book is kept on hand for every item. The buffet is £9.99 on weekdays, with two people dining for £18 on Wednesdays and Fridays. For something to take away, a full thali with fresh curries, dal or kadhi, rice, puris or rotis, papad and sambharo is just £5.99, making it a brilliant option for students and families alike.

While tradition sits at the heart of Sharmilee, the younger generation has added a few modern twists. Oreo barfi, strawberry kaju katli and pineapple jalebis have all made an appearance, alongside Italian gelato from a family-run producer in Essex and a new range of mocktails upstairs. And in the shop, there’s a simple policy that keeps customers coming back: try before you buy. You’re welcome to sample almost anything first.

Over the years, Sharmilee has welcomed its fair share of famous faces, from sporting legends to renowned Bollywood stars. The restaurant also has a connection to the silver screen, having featured in Jadoo, the 2013 film that was partly shot on Belgrave Road, further cementing its place as a local landmark.

But for Ashish, the real stars are the regulars. Among them is Mr Palmer, who once managed the factory where Ashish’s father and uncles worked. He still visits to this day, and the team always has a cup of tea ready for him. It’s the same story with families across Leicester whose weddings and first birthdays the business has catered for over the decades.

That sense of community runs deep. Sharmilee supports local mandirs, a nearby goshala and Primary Schools, and donates vouchers to local raffles throughout the year. A handful of long-standing regulars, first welcomed by Ashish’s father, are still never asked to pay. Unsold food is offered each evening through Too Good To Go, so nothing goes to waste.

Looking ahead, the family is planning a refurbishment with a more street-food style, live counters for dishes like pani puri, and is exploring packaging products such as chevdo for customers across the UK.

Whether you’ve been coming for decades or you’ve never set foot inside, head down to Sharmilee at Belgrave Road, Leicester Pull up a chair, try a little of everything and enjoy a taste of more than 50 years of Belgrave Road history.