South Bermondsey-based business trades at Canada Water Market, Wapping Docklands Market and Tower Hill Market
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There is a reason we have so many songs about supporting the one you love – Wind Beneath My Wings, You Lift Me up, Lean On Me. I could go on.
It is because following your dreams can be scary, endlessly exhausting and surprisingly confusing.
Those who succeed almost always have someone cheering them on along the way.
For Laxmi Gurung, that person is her partner Kiyam Lin.
“I’ve always had this passion of having my own restaurant or cooking, but he was my backbone and gave me the confidence to do it,” said the founder of fledgling food startup Hamro Maya.
The business can currently be found at Canada Water Market in Deal Porters Square, every Sunday serving up “under-represented Nepali cuisine”.
“Hamro Maya means ‘our love’ in Nepalese and the business really did start from that, as cheesy as that sounds,” said Laxmi.
Born in Nepal, she moved to the UK with her family aged 12. Kiyam was born in Hong Kong and came here aged two.
The couple, both 31, met in September 2020 and bonded over a “shared passion for food” but were quickly parted again due to the Covid lockdowns.
Love still managed to flourish, however, and Kiyam said it was clear from the start where Laxmi’s future lay.
Hamro Maya – born of a passion for food
“When we first met, I could see she was so passionate about food and suggested she should start a business,” he said.
“But she said: ‘No, I definitely don’t want to’. So, I left it on the back burner.
“But after a while it became really obvious that she really loved making amazing food for all of our friends.
“Every time they came around, she’d make something new and, over time, she realised this was actually a thing that she could really do.
“She’s got the ability, the talent and the passion for it, so I said she should just give it a go.
“Sometimes you need someone else to tell you to just go for it.”
He was also starting his own new chapter, beginning a research fellowship job at UCL in April after studying theoretical physics and completing his PhD.
Laxmi said: “He’s been supporting both of us.
“I left my job in January so I could attend courses and get the business going and I was at the point of breakdown at times.
“I wasn’t sure if I could do it and he’s just been there to support me so well.”
While this encouragement was key, it was that little voice inside Laxmi that finally prompted her to change career.
“I worked in a homeless department at the council and had to talk and listen to people every day about their sorrow – what they’re going through,” she said.
“It made me feel that I am more privileged and also lucky enough to be where I am, just thankful.
“One day I realised I needed to do something about my life.
“I already had what I wanted to do in the back of my head and I just knew I had to make it come true.
“It just hit me that I needed to go ahead and grab that idea and proceed with my passion.”
from the pans of the father
Her love of making food came from her father, who was previously in the Indian Gurkha army and moved his family to the UK “for a better future”.
“My dad was the main cook of our house,” said Laxmi who grew up in Plumstead.
“Whenever we came home from school or wherever he would be asking: ‘What do you want to eat? What kind of food do you want?’.
“We would pick and he would make it for us.
“He taught us to respect food and what we have been given.”
Laxmi began experimenting with cooking when she went to University in Bath to study biology and business management and then a masters in human resources management.
She went on to work for McDonalds and then Greenwich Council.
Once she decided to leave her office job, she began looking into how to start a business and discovered a free course offered by the Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GCDA).
“It was really eye-opening and helped me develop what my aim was, my values,” she said.
“It helped me understand my own business and my own idea better.”
Her menu was developed from home at first, but then she stumbled across Karma Kitchen, which provides space for food production and delivery and has a facility in South Bermondsey where Laxmi lives.
Since July she has been using its shared kitchen space for four days a week to create her dishes, with the aim of transporting customers from the snowy peaks of the Himalayas to the aromatic spices of hillside treats and the bold flavours of the Terai Here.
They include a range of handmade dumplings known as Momo – based on her mum’s recipe – and classics such as chowmein, fried rice and chatpate, inspired by what her dad taught her.
market traders
Hamro Maya launched at The Market Network’s three markets at the start of August – Tower Hill Market, Wapping Docklands Market and Canada Water Market.
Laxmi said the business had quickly become a seven-day job and she was already considering hiring more staff.
“Canada Water is probably the most popular because we have a lot of people from the South Asian community there,” she said.
“But its also been a real pleasure to introduce what Nepali cuisine is to new people.”
Some of her biggest fans are, of course, her parents.
“They’ve been raving about it and bringing their friends and family,” said Laxmi.
“My dad approves my food, but always wants it be more spicy. We do offer our spicy sauce on the side – not everyone can handle it.”
Then there is Kiyam, who had never even tried Nepali cuisine before he met Laxmi.
“Going down to the markets and seeing people paying money for her food and loving it is honestly so crazy,” he said.
“I feel so proud that it’s successful.
“She is flourishing in this new way she’s never done before and it’s amazing.”
key details: Hamro Maya
Hamro Maya is at Tower Hill Market from 11am-3pm on Thursdays, Wapping Docklands Market from 10am-5pm on Saturdays and Canada Water Market from 10am-4pm on Sundays.
Find out more about the business here
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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
