From Refugee to Socially Conscious Entrepreneur

Our family gatherings with the small clutch of relatives we had in the U.K. would always happen on a Sunday.  That gave my parents enough time for a round trip to the Sri Lankan grocery store to stock up on curry leaves, and a big bunch of fresh coriander, a bundle of garlic and ginger, Maldive fish, and cheaper-than-the-supermarket vegetables.  And enough time for my mum to make the chicken curry, pork curry, aubergine curry, green beans, cabbage mallung, dhal, white rice, and yellow rice. And probably devilled potatoes.  Standard fare for a Sunday family gathering.  Once we’d piled all the food on our plates, sat and devoured, us kids were swept upstairs to play while the grown-ups sat in the living room to sort out Sri Lankan politics.  Inevitably, the conversation would drift towards food—how great our collective mothers and aunties were at cooking, how the food was so much better than the restaurants we frequented in the late ’70s and ’80s. Wouldn’t it be great if we opened a restaurant? Perhaps not realising that those restaurants weren’t aimed at skilled and knowledgeable home cooks but at people who just wanted a basic bhuna and a beer.  In my podcast, I am talking to Vibushan Thirukumar, the co-founder of Oru Space, and this recollection is something we touched on—the first generation’s immigrant desire to set up a restaurant to showcase their food.  I remember this conversation coming up time and time again in my family. But, of course, come Monday, we were back at school, my dad and uncles were back at work, and mothers and aunties were back in the kitchen.  But Vibushan not only opened a restaurant, Trincos, inspired by his Sri Lankan heritage, he also co-founded Oru Space, a co-working space with wellness and community at its heart.  In this episode of Tea with Tooting Mama, Vibushan shares his journey from arriving in the U.K. as a Sri Lankan refugee to establishing a successful co-working and wellness concept in East Dulwich and Sutton.  He discusses his early life challenges, educational journey, and career shift from accounting to entrepreneurship. He delves into the inspiration behind Oru Space, the integration of his Sri Lankan heritage, and the impact of his family’s experiences.  Our conversation also covers his venture failures that led to his eventual success, his innovative approach to business, and the plans for Oru Space.  00:00 Introduction to Vibhishan Thirukumar and Oru Space00:47 Vibhishan's Early Life and Education01:52 Struggles and Career Shifts07:36 Finding Passion in Retail08:55 Transition to Accountancy10:52 The Birth of Oru Space15:43 Challenges and Adventures in Sri Lanka23:21 A Dangerous Encounter in Trincomalee24:11 Abandoning the Sri Lanka Project24:29 Starting Fresh in London26:13 Incorporating Wellness into Coworking28:24 The Birth of Trinco Restaurant28:46 Reflecting Heritage in Oru Space37:19 Expanding OruSpace to Sutton38:31 Future Plans and Community Focus* Oru Space* Rambutan* Everest Curry King* That Jay Rayner Review Grab my free guide to Sri Lankan cooking, and join the Tooting Mama community by signing up for my weekly newsletter here.Find my recipes here.Check out my Instagram hereNever miss a single episode by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, and tell your friends about Tea with Tooting Mama and my Stubstack Tooting Mama.Tooting Mama is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Tooting Mama at tootingmama.substack.com/subscribe