About Sabbir Karim
Abdul Musabbir Karim (আবদুল মুছাব্বির করিম), known to most people as Sabbir, is a British-Bangladeshi chef, restaurateur, philanthropist, community leader and aviation professional.
He founded and owns three London restaurants: Salaam Namaste, Namaaste Kitchen and Namaaste Highgate. He has flown with British Airways for more than three decades, and his charitable and community work reaches from Camden to Maulvibazar.
Early life and education
Sabbir was born in Ekatuna, in the Maulvibazar District of Bangladesh. He spent his early years in the countryside, going to local schools and walking several miles a day to get there.
At nine he moved to the United Kingdom and settled in London.
After secondary school he went straight into hospitality. At 21 he went back to education at Southgate College and completed a BTEC National Diploma in Business and Finance.
Decades later, at 55, he enrolled on a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the University of West London, studying alongside his work in aviation, hospitality and the community.
He has said education has been an important influence on his life, and it has shaped his family's too: two of his children have studied at the University of Oxford, and a third is studying medicine.
Two careers, side by side
Sabbir joined British Airways in the early 1990s and still flies as a Cabin Crew Leader. In 2005 he opened his first restaurant, Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury. Namaaste Kitchen in Camden Town followed in 2010, and later Namaaste Highgate.
Running restaurants while flying around the world isn't a usual mix. For Sabbir it works: the travel feeds the food, and both jobs come down to looking after people.
Giving back
He is a long-standing trustee of The Sreepur Village, founder of the Sabbir Karim Foundation, and founder and chair of the Salimun Nessa Free Primary Health Care Trust. He also chairs British Bangladeshi Friends of Labour and is Patron of Sylhet United Football Club.
In 2026 the Court of Common Council approved his admission to the Freedom of the City of London.
Milestones
- ChildhoodGrows up in Ekatuna, Maulvibazar, Bangladesh
- Age 9Moves to the United Kingdom and settles in London
- Age 21Completes a BTEC National Diploma in Business and Finance at Southgate College
- Early 1990sJoins British Airways
- 2005Opens Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury
- 2010Opens Namaaste Kitchen in Camden Town
- 2012, 2013Named Best Asian and Oriental Chef at the Asian Curry Awards
- 2017Supports survivors, firefighters and families after the Grenfell Tower fire
- 2025Receives the Outstanding Contribution to Charity and Community Service award
- 2026Approved for admission to the Freedom of the City of London
Home in Camden
Sabbir lives in Camden, London. He continues to balance his roles as restaurateur, community leader, philanthropist and British Airways Cabin Crew Leader, and still finds time for the projects closest to him in Bangladesh.