Our History

In 1964, you couldn’t find traditional Asian sweets and snacks for sale in the UK, no matter how hard you tried. The rapidly-growing Pakistani and Indian population in Bradford had nowhere where they could enjoy authentic desserts and savouries like the ones they grew up with.

The late Haji Abdul Rehman realised this was a problem, as well as an opportunity. He was already running a bustling grocery at 194 Lumb Lane, but, in true pioneering spirit, he decided to use his entire life-savings to set up a sweet shop.

Sweet Centre opened on December 12th, 1964 and became an immediate success.

What started as a tiny business with just three employees grew to a team of seven by the 1970s. As the demand for Asian sweets grew, Sweet Centre’s popularity climbed steadily, to the point where we even supplied cinemas around Yorkshire.

Savoury snacks on our menu, like chana puri, samosas and seekh kebabs, also proved to be bestsellers. Every dish prepared in Haji Abdul Rehman’s kitchen was made from his own secret recipes, which we still use to this day. In 2018, Sweet Centre relocated to 106 Lumb Lane, the famous location which has become a focal point for the Asian community.

As the late Haji Abdul Rehman said himself, “All our sweets are mixed by hand. It takes great skill to know when the sugars and other ingredients and blended correctly.” Almost three generations later, Sweet Centre is run by his son, Liaqat Habib, who prides himself on carrying on his father’s legacy, passing down his talents and skills.

In 2014, Sweet Centre celebrated our 50th Anniversary. We’d like to thank our customers for dining with us and supporting us for so many years. We’re already looking forward to the next 50!