Berenjak

18/10/2026

30/08/2026

I’ve been thinking about growth recently. Not the kind you set targets for, but the kind that sneaks up on you while you’re just trying to do the work properly. Everything I know about growth, I learned the unglamorous way.

At home first, becoming a father changes what “building something” even means. It used to be enough that the food was good and the restaurant was full. Now I catch myself wondering what my kids will inherit from the way I worked, not the business itself, but the habits. Whether they’ll remember a dad who was present, or just one who was busy. Whether the care I put into the business is the same care they felt at home.

Then at work, I’ve watched people join us barely able to hold a knife with confidence. I consider myself lucky to have watched them become the person who someone else now looks up to. That’s the growth that actually holds meaning to me, not the headcount (although that’s grown a lot too!) but who people become while they’re part of something.

I used to think Berenjak’s story was about one restaurant. It was never that small. It just took me a while to see it. Which is maybe why it doesn’t feel strange anymore to say that soon we’ll be bringing Berenjak to Chicago.

Grateful doesn’t quite cover it. But it’s the closest word I have.

06/08/2026

Tasbih-e Zendan.

Prayer beads made by inmates in prisons across Iran from date kernels, olive stones and other fruit pits.

What begins as something discarded is transformed into an object of worship, carrying the marks of the hands that made it.

It’s hard to imagine the patience required to make these, each bead has been carved, drilled and polished by hand, turning the simplest of things into something incredibly beautiful.

I’ve always been drawn to objects that tell a story, and I’m honoured to have these pieces in my possession. Soon they’ll be framed and displayed at our Mayfair restaurant.

Thank you to my brother ©Shayan Sajadian for sourcing 🤍

12/07/2026

Here it is as promised! Link emailed out to our subscribers, it’s in our bio, it’s on the website and find it on our stories. Big up the team for the rapid turnaround 🤍

RULES

- £1 per entry + like and hit the repost button
- Unlimited entries (each entry increases your chances)
- Must be 18 or older to enter
- 100% of proceeds to charity
- Winner chosen at random

THE PRIZE

- Watch the match in our private dining room at Berenjak Mayfair on 15th July
- £1000 tab for food and drink
- Group of up to 7 (all members must be 18+)
The winner will have the room from 19:00 until the match finishes (including any extra time and penalties)
- Winner will be announced, at 12:00 on Tuesday 14th July, along side the good cause that will be receiving the donation (this came together rather quickly so we’re still sorting that out)

It’s F***ing Coming Home! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

08/05/2026

Opening a restaurant on Nowruz felt particularly meaningful. There’s something symbolic in starting a new chapter at that very moment and carrying that energy into the space. Our intention was to bring the depth and generosity of Persian cuisine into a slightly more contemporary setting without losing our soul, and the new restaurant has given us the space to explore this journey in a different way.
I’m grateful for this opportunity and that I get to do what I love for my livelihood. I’m grateful for our community, who showed up and filled our new restaurant from day one, and I’m grateful to our teams everywhere for holding it down every single day. This period has demanded a huge amount from us: opening Mayfair and Riyadh simultaneously, preparing Abu Dhabi, which will follow imminently, and planning openings for later this year in Chicago, Bahrain and Kuwait, not to mention the numerous projects we’re juggling right here at home. I’ve come to realise that this work is never ending, so embrace it, because whatever hill you climb over, there’s an even bigger one waiting for you after.
Anyway, less of the sentimental stuff and a bit more about Berenjak Mayfair, which happens to have around thirty new dishes, although not in one place and not all available at the same time. Some of my home favourites are finally on a menu called ‘Golestan’, in honour of the beautiful Golestan Palace in Tehran that was damaged earlier this year in the ongoing conflict.
Each dish is partnered with a province that I think best represents it, but really it’s just an educated guess on where these dishes could have originated from. Plus, I’m not an expert and have never claimed to be when it comes to Persian cuisine and its history. I only know what’s been passed down to me, and unfortunately there’s a serious lack of verified information available when it comes to the history of Persian food. Most knowledge is shared through generations within families, usually with a hint of Chinese whispers added. So we do our best to put pieces of this ginormous puzzle back together, build theories, and find the ‘why’ to so many questions that the generation before us are unable to answer.

08/05/2026

Opening a restaurant on Nowruz felt particularly meaningful. There’s something symbolic in starting a new chapter at that very moment and carrying that energy into the space. Our intention was to bring the depth and generosity of Persian cuisine into a slightly more contemporary setting without losing our soul, and the new restaurant has given us the space to explore this journey in a different way.
I’m grateful for this opportunity and that I get to do what I love for my livelihood. I’m grateful for our community, who showed up and filled our new restaurant from day one, and I’m grateful to our teams everywhere for holding it down every single day. This period has demanded a huge amount from us: opening Mayfair and Riyadh simultaneously, preparing Abu Dhabi, which will follow imminently, and planning openings for later this year in Chicago, Bahrain and Kuwait, not to mention the numerous projects we’re juggling right here at home. I’ve come to realise that this work is never ending, so embrace it, because whatever hill you climb over, there’s an even bigger one waiting on the other side.
Anyway, less of the sentimental stuff and a bit more about Berenjak Mayfair, which happens to have around thirty new dishes, although not in one place and not all available at the same time. Some of my home favourites are finally on a menu called ‘Golestan’, in honour of the beautiful Golestan Palace in Tehran that was damaged earlier this year in the ongoing conflict.
Each dish is partnered with a province that I think best represents it, but really it’s just an educated guess on where these dishes could have originated from. Plus, I’m not an expert and have never claimed to be when it comes to Persian cuisine and its history. I only know what’s been passed down to me, and unfortunately there’s a serious lack of verified information available when it comes to the history of Persian food. Most knowledge is shared through generations within families, usually with a hint of Chinese whispers added. So we do our best to put pieces of this ginormous puzzle back together, build theories, and find the ‘why’ to so many questions that the generation before us are unable to answer.