Horndean woman who lost aerospace job finds new passion as she opens her very own kebab shop

When Sara Leigh lost her job at the start of this year, she found herself wondering what to do next.

The 47-year-old had been chewed up and spat out by the aerospace industry, and instead decided to turn her passion into her new career.

Now, she has opened Kismet Kebab in Horndean Precinct to rave reviews - and is already turning a profit.

Sara said: “I’ve worked with food before, in fish and chip shops, pubs and a deli counter. My mum taught us to cook when we were kids and I’ve always loved it - plus my husband is Turkish, so the food is so familiar to me at this point, it seemed like such a natural road to go down.

“So far it has been really good fun. I’ve had a lot of help from family and friends, which is amazing, and my kids help out whenever they can. The grandkids are a bit too young for now, but their time will come.

“Everybody has been so welcoming to us opening a new business as well. All the locals have been coming in - there are so many familiar faces popping in to say hello - and we’ve even started getting some repeat customers.”

The piece de resistance for Kismet Kebab is the homemade chilli sauce, which is whipped up in batches by Sara’s husband, Cemil.

In terms of the most popular menu items, it sits proudly alongside the chicken shish kebab, and the chicken and donor combo kebab.

“I’ve had to order extra this week, just to make sure we don’t run out,” Sara said.

“We actually turned a profit recently too, which is great for a restaurant that’s just starting out. Thankfully, that’s helped by us not having any debts with this place.

“My husband and I were thinking about buying a house together, but after I lost my job and realised this was what I wanted to do, he agreed to put our savings into this place. He’s my biggest supporter, my rock, and an all-round good egg.”

Kismet Kebab is open every day except Tuesday, from 3-11pm. To place an order, go directly to their website.