Babatope Aliu is chasing his dreams to bring authentic Nigerian flavours to Dundee by launching the ultimate grill house experience at The Horeb Food Company.
Named after Mount Horeb from the Bible, the Nigerian born 44-year-old plans to combine flavours from his home with local produce at Dundee’s newest restaurant.
Based across four floors, the venue will host an eatery on the ground level, with storage and prep on the second, staff rooms and toilets on the third, and offices with a balcony at the top floor.
Taking over the previously named Mangobean Cafe in Dundee city centre which shut in 2019, The Horeb Food Company is due to open on Murraygate within the next month.
Boasting 44 covers with both indoor and outdoor seating, the Nigerian restaurant will be open from 10am to 8pm seven days a week.
Investing over six figures into the venture, Babatope hopes that his customers can enjoy various types of grilled meat and vegetables, and experience something different to what is already available locally.
Oil and gas to hospitality
Babatope worked in finance in the oil and gas sector before venturing into hospitality. He has been self-employed in the past 12 years and has always been passionate about food.
He moved from Lagos to Dundee with his wife, Christy, and three children in the summer of 2020 when she began pursuing a masters degree in English Literature at the University of Dundee.
He said: “It has always been my dream to set up a restaurant but I was worried about opening a place in Lagos.
“When you open a new place there it is the talk of the town for the first couple of weeks and then it is on to the next one.
“I didn’t want to open something and then have to shut it down.
“During lockdown I had enough time to think about if I really wanted to go back to office life or if I wanted to do something else.
But it wasn’t until a friend suggested he should use the opportunity to pursue his hospitality ambitions, that he looked into acquiring a building. He did so in July 2021.
Babatope said: “A friend of mine said to me why don’t you take your savings and split it? Use half for your family and the other half to chase your dreams.
“I took over the coffee shop and decided to upgrade it with a hot food licence so we can grill, fry, and do proper cooking. That is what got me here.”
What’s on offer at The Horeb Food Company?
With the menu still being finalised, Babatope is keen to provide a range of meat options for visitors to try.
Options will include lamb, steaks, different cuts of chicken and turkey wings which are a popular food offering in Nigeria.
He also plans to separately cook grilled vegetable skewers with courgette and aubergine so that vegetarians and vegans can still enjoy his barbecue flavours.
Pork will be absent from the menu due to Babatope’s religions beliefs.
The premises will serve beers and cocktails once the alcohol licence has been granted, and mocktails will be available.
Chef specials
There will also be chef specials including Nigerian soups and meat stews which will change on a weekly basis.
Babatope added: “The regular menu will be more versatile and in line with local cuisine.
“In addition to the grilled meat, every week we will have chef specials to highlight something different from where we are from, too.”
Babatope is currently recruiting between nine to 15 staff members who will be trained in cooking West African food, as well as serving front of house.
Nigeria meets Nando’s
The restaurant looks to provide an experience similar Nando’s in terms of differing levels of heat in their dishes.
The menu will contain heat ratings to accommodate customers’ preferences.
“It will be a cross between a local Nigerian restaurant and Nando’s,” he added.
“There will be hot options, but the menu will range from mild to very hot. The heat won’t be too overpowering because we want people to come again and again.”
Address: 46 Murraygate, Dundee, DD1 2AZ
