Turkish Grill opens in Deeping St James

A man is bringing a taste of Turkey to town with a new eatery.

Salman Ciftepala opened Turkish Grill in Rycroft Ave, Deeping St James last month.

Since the age of 18 he has owned takeaways across the country but had stepped away from a career in cooking for a number of years.

“In 2014 I stopped enjoying cooking which was about the time I was getting married,” said Salman, who explained in his culture women traditionally take charge in the kitchen.

“It was only a couple of months ago my love for it came back.

“This is a nice area so I kept looking out to find a place.

“This building became available and it is a nice town which is very lucky.”

Salman, who is 34, is originally from Turkey and learnt how to cook from his mum as well as by teaching himself.

He knew at the age of 18 he wanted a career in cooking and to own his a business.

“By learning yourself you discover a love for the job,” he said.

“The food is the most important thing in the business, it is not about money.

“You have to love cooking to be able to serve customers food which they will love as well.”

He also prides himself on having a team with decades of experience.

Keen to keep the business authentic, the bespoke grill at the takeaway has been shipped from Turkey and spices used for the cooking are imported from his home country.

Salman’s favourite thing to cook is a shish kebab which has also gone down as the most popular meal with customers.

He says he has been blown away by all of the nice comments on social media and hasn’t received any negative reviews.

While people are waiting for their food they are offered baklava and Turkish tea and delight, which Salman believes makes it a more relaxing experience.

The open plan kitchen also gives customers the chance to see the food being made while they wait.

“Takeaways have changed,” he said.

“You used to go to a takeaway and want to eat the food straight away.

“Now, people enjoy watching how it is made and seeing us working in the kitchen.”

As well as Turkish food, the takeaway sells pizza, burgers and chips.

The shop is open from 3pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Saturday.