Aga Ilska is co-founder of Lebnani restaurant in Reigate, Surrey. She has a wealth of experience in running a hospitality business, having worked in many restaurants including Fakhreldine and then built the successful chain of London Lebanese restaurants Yalla Yalla. Not only is she a hardworking business owner with her partner Chef Jad Youssef, but also a mother of two young girls.
What inspired you to start Lebnani restaurant, and what is the story behind its name?
Our vision was to bring the flavours of Beirut Street Food here to Surrey. Translating some of our favourite dishes to share them with a new audience. Doing what we both love, bringing joy to our customers by offering them that same authentic Lebanese food and friendly experience we love, just a little closer to home.There’s no direct translation for the word ‘Lebnani’, but it’s a colloquial term in Lebanese culture for authentic Lebanese cultural experience or food, so really, it’s more a feeling, which we felt was perfect for what we wanted to achieve with our restaurant.
What made you decide to sell Yalla Yalla and make the move to Surrey?
We moved to Surrey after we had our first daughter, we wanted to move out of London and put down roots for our family in a more rural setting, and that meant it was also time for a new challenge. After several months of hard work and planning we secured premises and set about creating our little patch of Lebanon in the heart of Reigate – and the rest is history.
The support we have received from our ever-growing – and very loyal – customer base, has been amazing. Having launched just before the hospitality sector got rocked by covid, it could have spelled disaster and we are so grateful for the reception we have received, and continue to receive from our supporters and customers.
It truly inspires us to keep delivering the same fantastic quality and service they expect, and keeps pushing us to grow and expand what we offer at every opportunity we get.
How did you get started in the industry?
I started out working in restaurants in London while studying at university (where I actually met Jad!). I love being around people and problem solving, so I discovered my personality and skill set – teamed with my love of food – were the perfect match for working in the hospitality industry.
There is something so rewarding about providing memorable dining experiences for our guests. People walk away from a great meal talking about it, and it gives me such pride that from a combination of Jad’s culinary expertise and my experience, we are able to achieve that time and time again. Deciding to work in this industry was one of the best decisions of my life!
You work with your husband Jad (Chef Jad Youssef), how do you make this work?
While Jad oversees all the cooking and the menu development, I look after the business side of things, including customer service and marketing, this allows us our own lanes to focus on. The fact that this means we’re not in each other’s pockets 100% of the time, it allows us to combine forces and work together professionally.
Ultimately, we both share the same passion and drive towards our goals for Lebnani. The fact we are a family run establishment is very important to us, our daughters visit the restaurant regularly and being able to have that connection, is pretty special for our family unit.
I know how lucky I am to go into work every day working on something that we both feel so passionately about – I can’t think of better inspiration than that.
Aside from your own, what are your favourite places to eat out?
It’s so hard to pick when there are so many amazing cuisines and places to eat – but some of my favourites are: Circolo Popolare, Four Seasons and our local pubs.
What advice would you give someone starting in the industry who has dreams of opening their own place?
Starting and building your own business can be overwhelming, don’t forget as well as being your own biggest critic (which is definitely needed sometimes when you run a small business!) Don’t forget to also stop sometimes and recognise the achievements too.
Success does not happen overnight, so it’s important to be able to focus on long-term goals, every small step is part of a bigger journey.
Hospitality and the restaurant industry can be tough – so most of all I recommend that you really love what you do – have passion – as that is what will fuel you through the highs and lows.
And finally, surround yourself with good people. At Lebnani we are so lucky to have the most wonderful team. As a family business, our team are part of that family. The commitment each individual brings to the team is such a huge part of what makes Lebnani special and it inspires us to be better.
What can we expect for Lebnani moving forward?
We have so much in store over the next few months! We’re so excited that our brand-new cooking classes will be available from October 2023. Launching the classes is something really important to us as it allows us to take you on an authentic journey around Lebanon, in a completely new way.
We also recently launched cook at home kits which have been really popular as they offer the same fantastic quality ingredients along with the challenge of recreating our delicious dishes from the comfort of your home – particularly great for those days you don’t fancy going out or just want to cook something new – plus they make fantastic gifts!
Being a family run business it’s such an exciting time for us, we are constantly coming up with new ideas and ways we can bring that special Lebnani offering to a wider audience – so definitely keep your eyes peeled on our socials for more exciting announcements very soon!
Over the last few years, we’re really proud to have established ourselves as a leading culinary destination in Reigate and now we only plan to keep growing that stellar reputation we’ve managed to gain in the area.
What would your dream dinner be?
I really enjoy travelling and one of the main reasons for this is the food! I love to try new dishes in new places, there’s nothing better than stumbling upon an absolute gem of a little local place, where the food is local and authentic, and cooked from the heart. You get such a special feeling when you get the chance to eat in one of these places and it’s what we try to recreate every day at Lebnani. The best dinners don’t need to be extravagant, when it comes down it, it’s all about simple good food, cooked with love and wonderful conversation.
But if I did get to pick my dream dinner setting, it would probably be beside the sea – who doesn’t love views of the ocean surrounded by the smells of beach, fire, salt, and citrus.
What is your life motto?
Impossible is for the unwilling.