One of Manchester’s biggest and most popular Indian restaurants is set to go on sale following a fallout between the owners.
Royal Nawaab – a buffet restaurant and banqueting hall on Stockport Road in Levenshulme – has been a hotspot for Asian cuisine, casual dining and pre-COVID large-scale events since it opened on the site of a former cinema back in 2003.
However, the restaurant has been at the centre of a legal dispute in recent weeks, according to a recently-published High Court document.
The High Court noted that the business has been “very profitable” during its run, but the founders, Tariq Mahmood Malik and Mahboob Hussain Junior, had fallen out within a few years of opening up.
Now, after years of bad blood between the founders, the judge has ruled that the property and 50% of the company must go on sale in a process bounded by terms set by the court.
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At the High Court hearing at Manchester Civil Justice Centre last month, Judge Stephen Davies explained that Tariq and Mahboob had begun as joint owners and shareholders in the business – but by 2007, Tariq stepped back from the business as his relationship with Mahboob soured. His son Asad – who is married to Mahboob’s daughter, Atikah – took the reins.
Over time, Tariq’s wife, Nusrat Tariq, and Mahboob’s wife, Mirza Begum, also became shareholders in the business. However, in 2016, Tariq fell out with members of his own family – including his wife Nusrat, with whom he was by then estranged, as well as his son Asad, and another, younger son, Usman, who by then were both shareholders in the business and were supportive of their mother.
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As a result of this fallout – which Judge Stephen Davies said “appeared to be irreversible” – Tariq was removed as a director.
A judge has ruled that the property and 50% of the company must go on sale / Credit: Royal Nawaab
With the future of the business left hanging in the balance, the judge stated that the “most sensible way forward” was to have an expert valuation on the restaurant premises so that Tariq’s interests and partnership assets could be sold – but Tariq then said that he wanted the Stockport Road property sold on the open market.
Then, in an unexpected turn of events, Tariq offered to buy out Mahboob for £2.2 million back in March, but this was rejected by Mahboob’s lawyers who said said it was “unacceptable” for any third party to acquire Mahboob’s share.
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The lawyers also said that they didn’t think it was a genuine offer “since Tariq had no obvious means of funding the purchase”.
With Tariq pressing for the business to be sold off, and Mahboob still wanting to buy Tariq out, Judge Stephen Davies decided on the compromise that the property should be sold according to the court’s terms, and that if no sale proceeds Mahboob should buy out Tariq.
Judge Davies ordered a “full and fair” valuation of the property and the business so that Tariq, Mahboob and any of the other defendants can make bids “as should any third party who wishes to do so”, adding however that any “independent” selling agent or solicitor charged with the “conduct of the sale” should be under “no obligation to publicise” it.
In order to “prevent injustice”, the judge set terms that mean Mahboob can acquire the property and the shares at the court’s valuation if others drop out after making bids above that price.
The buffet restaurant has been a hotspot for Asian cuisine since it opened back in 2003 / Credit: Royal Nawaab
“The court has a discretion not only as to whether or not to order a sale, but also the manner in which any sale should be conducted,” Judge Davies said.
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“That is particularly important in this case, since in my judgement there is a very real likelihood that Tariq’s true motive in pressing for an order for sale is to attempt to increase the price by engineering a bidding war, and I am satisfied that it is necessary to ensure that the provisions in relation to any sale should be tailored so far as reasonable to prevent him from doing so with impunity.”
Featured Image – Royal Nawaab
UK News
Salford Red Devils have been dropped from the Super League
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils RLFC have been officially relegated and dropped from the next Betfred Super League season following months of uncertainty both on and off the field.
It’s a nightmare scenario for supporters, but not entirely surprising given their struggles of late.
Revealing the decision this week, the Super League announced that Salford Red Devils will not be competing in the top tier next term, with the upcoming adjusted campaign getting underway in 2026.
Confirming that their IMG grading had been reduced as expected in the wake of recent events, the Greater Manchester side shared an official statement with the fans on Thursday morning, 16 October.
The reaction has obviously been one of deep frustration from a fan base that has been put through the ringer over the past year or so.
Die-hard Red Devil, Andy Roberts, commented in the numerous replies underneath Salford’s post on X: “I’m sorry, but this statement is a complete disgrace. Patronising fans, ignoring the huge elephant in the room. RELEGATION!”
Even neutrals got involved, with one person writing: “I hope someone comes in and saves you. No gloating here, we’re all part of the RL [rugby league] family, and I’ve lost my club before – wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Best of luck getting sorted.”
Another added that he believes this “Has to be the worst piece of comms from any club ever. Might have been better to start with a ‘really sorry we won’t be part of Super League next season’ line.”
Most notably, their dismissal from the division for now has also made way for the return of Bradford Bulls, who haven’t featured in the tournament since 2014, ultimately limping towards liquidation and eventual relegation themselves. Safe to say Salfordians fear the same.
It’s also worth noting that Salford Red Devils’ relegation also comes in tandem with the Super League actually expanding in terms of participants, with 14 teams set to face off in 2026; a dozen are automatically included via the aforementioned gradings system.
The Bulls were restored to the ranks after finishing 10th in the overall IMG rankings, while SRDLFC’s 0.25 point reduction to their total score proved enough to see the Yorkshiremen take their place after more than a decade.
Another two of clubs are still waiting to be named in the roster for next year, with an independent selection panel scheduled to verify their picks this Friday, 17 October.
You can see the club’s ‘divisive’ (to say the least) statement in full HERE and, in the meantime, find out more on the latest twist in this unfortunate tale that went on somewhat behind the scenes down below.
Featured Images — Fleets (via Wikimedia Commons)/Salford Red Devils
UK News
A very wholesome record was seemingly smashed by a group of runners at the Manchester Half
Danny Jones
It’s been a few days since the 2025 Manchester Half, and news of personal bests and records being matched/broken continues to flood in, but nothing quite beats the fastest caterpillar EVER getting themselves in the Guinness book.
Yes, we did say caterpillar.
In case you have no idea what we’re talking about (it’s pretty much what it says on the tin), a caterpillar refers to when multiple runners stick themselves in a daft bit of fancy dress and race in a line while joined together in a suit that looks like, well, you get the gist…
Fun and wholesome in itself, right? Indeed, better still, though, it appears as though this particular group of fundraisers not only completed this year’s Manchester Half-marathon with the added challenge of running behind one another in a caterpillar outfit, but have just smashed the Guinness World Record.
As you can see, the four top blokes – Matthew Athersmith, Eddie Evans, Andrew Cairns and Jimmy Craig – didn’t just get the 13.1-mile feat completed quickly; they were absolutely RAPID.
The 2025 MCR Half saw plenty of people breaching the 90-minute mark or going even faster, but we were not expecting to see the familiar caterpillar fancy dress sight finishing in 1:14:08.
Utterly ridiculous, boys.
Other notable bits of history made, besides the largest ever crowd of 28k racers and more than £1.6 million raised for different charities, included runner Sophie Godley smashing the women’s record for the fastest time while carrying (*checks notes*) 13 golf clubs. Silly and inspiring – like it.
Although they’re still waiting for full confirmation from the official Guinness World Records organisation, the Manchester Half media team seemingly verified that they beat the previous caterpillar half-marathon record by nearly 15 whole minutes.
Dubbing themselves ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, the group of mates from Skipton in North Yorkshire ran in memory of one of Matthew’s friends, Darren, who sadly died back in 2022.
Speaking to the BBC following the remarkable achievement, Matt said: “Darren was so loved by everyone; we just didn’t know what was going on beneath the surface.”
Applauding the “unbelievable” and incredibly uplifting atmosphere on the day, they were one of many participants who added on extra caveats to the already impressive fitness and fundraising challenge.
It was nevertheless an emotional day for all of them. For instance, one quarter of the caterpillar, Jimmy, also had a heavily pregnant wife waiting at home that he had to race back to.
Generating money for male mental health organisation and suicide prevention charity, Andy’s Man Club (AMC), which has continued to grow year on year, they went on to add: “It’s OK to talk, and people shouldn’t suffer in silence. We all would have tried to help.”
Andy’s Man Club outposts are popping up all over the place, including many here in Greater Manchester, so for anyone struggling, please know that you are NOT alone and can always speak to someone. If you’re interested in giving AMC a go, you can find your nearest support group HERE.
Last but not least, for those of you local to the region who are ready to reward yourselves now that the big runs are all said and done, look no further.
Calling all Manchester runners: if you've boxed off all your races for the year, it's time to reward yourself properly – with a boogie, of course 🪩💃
The Manc -
7th June 2021 
