Chinese Takeaway owners and other migrant entrepreneurs

Do you sometimes treat yourself with a 'Chinese' takeaway? 

Is there one close to where you live - perhaps more than one? How long has it been open for? 

Do you know the people who run it? 

These food outlets are not a new arrival, and are very much part of the UK's food culture.

The following text is taken from the Migration Museum's Facebook page.

As the UK's national takeaway dish, Chinese takeaways are a staple of British Culture, but how did it all start? 
In 1908 a former ship's chef, Chung Koon, came to the UK and opened the first Cantonese restaurant in Soho. Fifty years later, his son John opened his own restaurant, the popularity of John's venue meant customers were forced to take food home with them, starting the takeaway trend!
The Chinese takeaway has changed over time, with takeaway owners adapting to their British customer's tastes.

A selection of pictures formed part of the Museum's Taking Care of Business exhibition, which explored the central role that migrant entrepreneurs have played in shaping our lives – and Britain.




The museum exhibit is now closed, but you can still explore the exhibition online. 


Image: Chinatown, London -  Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license

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