Features / bristol sweet mart
A family story of struggle, sweets and spices
Over the last 50 years, Bristol Sweet Mart on St Mark’s Road has become more than a place to buy groceries.
It is a monument to resilience, enterprise and the power of food to hold a community together.
The business was founded in 1978 by Kassam Ismail Majothi, alongside his wife Fatma, after the family arrived in the UK having been expelled from Uganda in the early 1970s.
Back in East Africa, Kassam had run businesses since the age of 14 and employed hundreds of people.
But the fortunes changed overnight after the expulsion of South Asians under the edict of Idi Amin.
They left East Africa with just the clothes on their backs and a precious few belongings.
They arrived at a refugee camp near Minehead and had to start all over again with almost nothing.
Deliberating whether to go to Leicester, where many of their friends had moved, or to come to Bristol, they chose Bristol.
Sweet Mart has been shortlisted for two awards at our inaugural Bristol Legends event which is taking place at Ashton Gate Stadium on March 6.
Sweet Mart is a major supplier of international foods across the South West – photo: Betty Woolerton
After the passing of Kassam and Fatma, four brothers continue the proud legacy of their parents.
Bristol24/7 spoke to Rashid and Yunas, who now lead the business with Salim and Abdul having stepped back from day-to-day operations.
The family spent time in a resettlement camp before relocating to Bristol, helped by church contacts who found them housing in Lawrence Weston. The children were oblivious to the upheaval.
“For us kids, we were excited,” said Yunas Majothi “We had never flown in a plane.
“Everything we saw on television was English. But after three or four months, it dawned on us what we had lost.”
Starting a business in a new country, with limited English and very little money, was daunting.
A local shopkeeper, Mr Gani from Pakistan, who recognised the quality of Fatma’s home cooking, offered them the chance to use a small shop on St Mark’s Road (the current site of Sweet Mart) with low rent and a short rent-free period.
“That’s how we started,” Rashid said.
“This business was founded with a few hundred pounds. A bank doesn’t want to lend you money when you’re living in a council house. But my dad had knowledge of business.”
Rashid and Yunas Majothi are carrying the long-standing family legacy of Bristol Sweet Mart – photo: Milan Perera
The early days were built on hard work and instinct. Kassam packed goods by hand and could judge weights without scales.
A turning point came when a school teacher visiting the family home noticed their garage was full of spices, nuts and ingredients.
“She said, ‘Your garage is like a shop,’” Rashid remembered. “She bought some cashew nuts and told other teachers. That’s when my dad felt there was a market for this.”
Sweetmart grew from a sweets and takeaway outlet into one of the most diverse food stores in the region, now stocking around 12,000 products and employing around 40 people.
Its own branded spices, lentils, various sauces and specialty ingredients have built a loyal following.
“Our name is on the product,” they said. “We won’t put anything inferior in it.”
Food remains at the heart of the business which has a deli, supermarket and greengrocers on St Mark’s Road.
The deli sells fresh, home-style dishes cooked slowly over several hours – photo: Milan Perera
In the deli, fresh, home-style dishes are prepared daily, with curries cooked slowly over several hours.
“Our chicken curry from raw to finish takes three to four hours,” they explained. “We don’t try to do fast food. We do slow-cooked homemade food.”
They provide spices and ingredients to some 80 local restaurants where each ingredient is traceable to their original source.
Sweet Mart has played a central role in organising, cooking for and facilitating Bristol’s Grand Iftar on St Mark’s Road – photo: Ellie Pipe
The family has also played a leading role in community events, most notably the Grand Iftar on St Mark’s Road.
“They said maybe a few hundred people would come,” Rashid said. “I said, look how popular this street is. You will have 1,000 to 1,500. We had 2,000. The year after 4,000. The year after that, just before lockdown, 6,000 people.”
Many of those attending were not Muslim. The brothers believe food can transcend language and cultural barriers, with strangers naturally striking up conversations over a shared meal.
“The Iftar is not owned by anybody. It is a community thing. We get the church involved. We get the local community involved.”
Sweetmart also supports local churches at Easter and other events, reflecting the family’s belief in shared humanity.
“Religion shouldn’t be an obstruction,” Rashid said. “You respect one another. The church opens its doors in Ramadan. We welcome them too.”
Customers refer to the shop simply as “uncle’s shop”.
“People say, ‘Are you in Tesco?’ No, I’m in uncle’s shop,” they laughed.
Bristol Sweet Mart was founded in 1978 by Kassam Ismail Majothi, alongside his wife Fatma, after the family arrived in the UK having been expelled from Uganda in the early 1970s – photo: Milan Perera
On their Bristol Legends recognition, the brothers said: “We’re so humbled. There’s a great deal of pride in there.
“We love people. We love the smiles on their faces. And it makes it worthwhile getting up early every day to come here.”
To vote at Bristol Legends, visit www.bristol247.com/nominations; to attend the awards ceremony at Ashton Gate on March 6, visit www.bristol247.com/events/legends-awards-tickets and to attend the after party, visit www.bristol247.com/events/bristol-legends-party
Main photo: Milan Perera
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