From a young age my late father would always take my family to Bloom’s in Whitechapel for Kosher Salt Beef Sandwiches and Latkas. When they moved to Golders Green we followed them. But after their sudden closure, it would have left many people who loved Kosher Jewish deli food at miss if it wasn’t for Reubens which filled that void.
Reubens Restaurant was established in 1973 and was the only kosher deli/restaurant in London’s West End. Attending frequently by the Chief Rabbi and celebrities, it become the place to eat great kosher deli food.
All their meat was Glatt Kosher supplied by the finest kosher butchers. Their world famous melt in the mouth salt beef was steamed in a special way with a special recipe to produce what was considered to be some of the finest salt beef in the world, almost as good as Katz Deli in New York.
But like Blooms before them, early this year Rueben’s suddenly announced its immediate closure after 46 years, “due to a family bereavement.”
In a post to its Facebook and Instagram accounts they announced “with a heavy heart” that it had “unexpectedly had to close”.
“We are proud that of the 46 years Reubens has served the community, our family have proudly run the business for over 37 years”, the message read.
It thanked people who had eaten there for their custom “and the good memories we have all shared.”
The lose of Reubens is not just a lost for the West End but for the whole of the UK. There is no other kosher deli in the UK that does the traditional salt beef sandwiches and latkas. If anyone can recommend any please tell me, but is saddens me this could be closure which could end an era of this much loved London cuisine.
Harris is board member for the Prince's Trust Mosaic initiative. He was appointed as Mosaic’s first honorary patron and was awarded the prestigious Beacon Award for Philanthropy Advocate 2013 for raising £1m within 12 months for various charities working in deprived communities in the UK, becoming the youngest and first Muslim to receive this honour. He now serves as a judge for the awards.
Harris is the co-founder of the Naz Legacy Foundation, which aims to enhance educational excellence and positive integration. It was established in memory of his late father, Naz Bokhari OBE, the first Asian/Muslim head teacher in the UK. The Foundation was honoured to be awarded the Big Society Award 2014 by the Prime Minister. Harris is also an ambassador for the British Asian Trust.
Harris’s interfaith work has included organising the first ever engagement event between national community, women and youth leaders from the Jewish and Muslim communities meeting with the new Chief Rabbi in Finchley Kinloss Synagogue. Harris was one of the first Muslims to be invited to the Chief Rabbi’s installation ceremony and was selected to be an Ariane De Rothschild fellow, in partnership with Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and King’s College. Harris also organised the first youth interfaith iftar at Lambeth Palace, which brought together the Archbishop of Canterbury, Chief Rabbi, Mayor of London and over 100 youth leaders from each of London’s boroughs – representing all faiths and none.
Harris was awarded an OBE in Her Majesty’s Birthday Honours List for services for young people and interfaith relations; named as one of 40 people in finance who goes further for good causes by Financial News Extra Mile List; and named as one of London’s most influential figures by the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list.
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Harris Bokhari 