Monpura Bangladeshi café and restaurant in Stockton Heath open

They went to check out the village and ended up eating at Ego on Walton Road. A burger and a vegetable wrap later, the pair left and on their way out, spotted a ‘to let’ sign on the former Little Box of Treats building.

And now, over a year later, Naz is the manager and Shuhag is the chef at Monpura, the new Bangladeshi café and restaurant in the area.

After waiting seven months for planning permission, they spent nearly £97,000 on rejuvenating the building after it was damp and had a roof leakage.

For Naz, the focus on the business is for the customers to enjoy their food more than anything cooked by Shuhag, who worked at The Cottage for 17 years.

He said: “We’re trying to give Stockton Heath something a bit different with different food and a different taste.

“When we left Ego, I told him that this is the food people here like. We thought we could also bring our own Bangladeshi street food also.

“We are concentrating more on the food rather than the drinks. We are not bothered about the drinks because we have a quality chef. People can bring their own for a small charge but we won’t sell alcohol.

How the inside of the restaurant looks

Monpura is on Walton Road in the former Little Box of Treats shop

“We want to give everyone the time to try and enjoy their food. We want our customers to taste our food rather than the beer or the wine.

“We were going to give up due to the wait for the application but we had spent that much money on the planning application we will wait for it and here we are.”

The restaurant – which opened five weeks ago – offers two booking times in the evening for 5pm – 7pm and 7pm – 9pm to allow customers to have time to take in their food.

The name, Monpura, is named after an island in Bangladesh, but it also translates to your mind being fulfilled.

Naz, who has lived in Oldham for the last 30 years, added: “We want you to fulfil your mind as you eat and go out of the door feeling fulfilled.

“We’ve had a good response from the customers and really good feedback. We asked for feedback on whether to do a wine list, but the vast majority wanted to bring their own and we decided to give the customers what they want.

“The first week was busy and the second really busy – the customers liked the service.

“People are very nice here. We’re really happy because the customers are very friendly, polite and they understand us because we are a small restaurant.

“We have made local friends in our first month and we want to give the customer the best experience they can.”

The restaurant wants to focus on the food it offers

The seating bends around the far corner in Monpura

A close up look at the flower wall on display

As well as the traditional evening meals, the refurbished restaurant provides Bangladeshi street food at lunchtime called Thali – similar to tapas where you can try different dishes to tease customers ahead of visiting again.

The 37-year-old, who has worked and managed in restaurants across Manchester and family businesses in Todmorden and Halifax, continued: “A lot of the ingredients are from Bangladesh.

“The only reason we open during the day is that so the chef can give them a try to see what you like and then you can come again another time in the evening.

“It is working for us and so far it is good.”

Monpura opens at midday until 10pm in the week and on Sunday’s, on Friday’s it is open 4.30pm – 11pm and Saturday’s 12pm – 11pm.