A new Indian takeaway restaurant, opened after an investment made the business viable, has created a rush for jobs in Nottingham.
With just 15 positions available, over 1,000 applications were received – highlighting the need for a quick response and a strong CV.
New Indian in Nottingham
Rikshaw is described as an urban Indian kitchen. It’s a new street food restaurant and takeaway which is now open in Nottingham, after the 15 food jobs that were available have been filled.
The openings were for both full and part-time staff, working the counters and serving as waiters. Even though there were just 15 positions available at the Sherwood eatery, more than 1,000 applicants submitted their CVs to the management.
Vijay Naudiyal is the head chef and the co-owner, and he was completely blown away by the response. “Unfortunately we can’t give a job to all those people,” he said. “We are trying to offer fine dining service but with Indian street food, using locally sourced ingredients. It’s proper street food, the kind you can grab quickly.”
Experienced team and new beginnings
Vijay has more than 26 years of experience as a chef behind him, which he brings to this new position as the basis for his new business. He was born in northern India and previously worked at a Marriott Hotel in Mumbai, before moving to the UK. He was part of the team at the Calcutta Club in Nottingham when it first opened, so he has seen what it takes to get an eatery off the ground.
The location of Rikshaw was once the Speedy Peppers takeaway, but it had been left derelict after the previous business closed down. Having bought the property, the team gave it a makeover in just eight weeks. The result is a clean, fresh new look, with an open kitchen so that diners on the high wooden bench tables can see their food being prepared.
Some of the food which will be on offer includes Indian street classics like papri chaat, kati rolls, gol gappe, panipuri, and chole kulche. Vegan and gluten-free options are available, and there are healthier versions of traditional curries which use olive oil as well. Jalfrezi, korma, and saagwala are all on the menu.
Vijay said, “We’re not a boring old takeaway, it’s something different with a modern twist.”
There is room for 16 diners in the restaurant itself, with takeaway and delivery options also available. The restaurant has bought Smart cars and painted them to look like tuk tuks in order to furnish their delivery fleet with something a bit more interesting. The owners hope to later be able to expand to Birmingham, Leicester, Derby, and perhaps further afield.
Job search tips
With so many people applying for the same position, it’s clear that food recruitment is in heavy demand right now. In order to stand out from the crowd and get a job that suits you, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
First, make sure that your CV is up to date and presented in a way that looks pleasing to the eye. There are plenty of free CV templates out there, even included in your word processing software. You should also create a cover letter which you can adapt depending on the application, to add that personal touch.
You should then sign up for job alerts through our boards, so that you always receive notification of the latest jobs being added to our website. You can apply as soon as they go live to be in with a better chance of getting the position.
