Muzaffar Sadykov is the heart and brains behind Oshpaz, the much-loved Uzbek street food stall.
In 2009, Muzzaffar’s journey began as he ventured to London from Uzbekistan to pursue a degree in IT, while working part-time in a restaurant to support his studies. As he worked alongside pots and pans, his passion for the hospitality industry grew, and he quickly noticed a distinct lack of the Central Asian Cuisine that he had loved from a very young age. This inspired him to fulfil his dream of bringing a piece of his childhood to Londoners, and thus began his Oshpaz pursuit…
Muzaffar discovered TERN (The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network C.I.C.) in 2017, when he was looking for support to kickstart his dream food business.
When Oshpaz joined KERB
Through our partnership with TERN, Muzaffar pitched his business idea to one of our Market Managers (hey, James!) in 2018. It wasn’t long before he joined our inKERBator programme, which saw the beginning of the Oshpaz era. His infamous Plov rice bowls quickly became a KERB lunch staple!
After three weeks in the classroom learning from the KERB+ team, and six weeks trading at our markets, Oshpaz graduated at the end of February 2019 becoming fully fledged KERB members.
Oshpaz quickly became familiar faces at KERB markets, trading at Peckham, King Cross, West India Quay, the Gherkin…you name it, they’ve traded it! And their fan following began to grow, travelling across London for their lunchtime Plov fix.
From KERB Markets, to KERB Events
It was time to step it up, with Osphaz soon joining the traders on tour with KERB Events. Whether it’s feeding the queues at Wimbledon or fuelling nights out at Printworks, Oshpaz have spreaded the Plov fever up and down the country ever since!
Moving in to Seven Dials Market
Last year they took on a permanent spot at Seven Dials Market, joining the launch line-up in Cucumber Alley! Bringing Muzaffar’s dreams to life, and offering Uzbeki cuisine a spot on the culinary map of London.
It didn’t take long for their Cucumber Alley spot to become a success. It wasn’t just the Plov that Muzaffar had perfected, his menu also featured steamed and pan-fried dumplings – and they sold them by the pan-load.
When a space became available in Banana Warehouse, Muzaffar slapped his noodles on the counter and had us instantly sold. A one-month pop up slinging those hand-pulled noodles alongside samsy and Plov bowls, was a tasty hit.
When their pop up came to an end, it was impossible to say goodbye to those steaming bowls of noods. And so we offered Muzaffar and his team a space in the Banana Warehouse! Now you’ll find the Oshpaz team in Cucumber Alley as well as downstairs, serving up a bigger and better Uzbeki menu than ever before. Think hand-pulled noodles with a choice of lamb, chicken or vegan, their infamous Plov rice bowls, some Moorish Shashlik kebabs, and much more!
Oshpaz goes for bricks and mortar
Next up for the team? They’re taking the almighty step of opening their own bricks and mortar restaurant. From autumn, you’ll find Oshpaz on Regent Street, slinging Plov and dumplings to the crowds of shoppers. Keep an eye on their socials @oshpaz_london for the latest updates. What a journey…
