Female-led Hoba brings Berlin-style kebabs to Bristol

After working as a private chef in London for a number of years, Hope moved to Bristol and Hoba Kebabs was born in 2017, with its first venue being a fantastic Harbourside stall. 18 months later, Annie left her full-time position as a nurse and joined the Hoba family, hitting the ground running.

Having been an incredibly successful pop-up for two and a half years at Kongs, Bristol, Hope and Annie are now opening their own venue, coming full circle and back to where everything began at Bristol Harbourside.

Asking what is most important to Annie and Hope when considering Hoba and the future of the company, they tell us how being part of the change in the hospitality industry is incredibly important and they employ an emphasis on a positive work life culture within their growing team.

Mentioning the expanding team and asking how their new venue is going, Hope talks about how the families have been brought in and collectively they are creating a vibrant space together, be it painting, tiling, plumbing – you name it.

Menu

With their strong vegan following in mind, there is still something for everyone on the Hoba menu with both vegan and meat options available. Best sellers include “The full house”, which actually originated from a customer at a market asking for all four options available in one – chicken, beef, lamb and cauliflower. Another popular dish is the vegan chicken, made totally in-house. That being said, everything at Hoba is locally sourced, free range and made by the team, including the marinades, sauces and pickles. Even the bread is bespoke, made by a local bakery, meaning you can only get this bread at Hoba itself. We love to see it here at Dish Cult.

The effects of Covid

When we ask how Covid was for them as an independent pop-up in Bristol, the response is heart-warming. Hope explains how brilliant Bristol is at supporting independent venues and how Kongs was the same, letting Hoba run as a dark kitchen. What is a dark kitchen? Literally a kitchen, no in-person customers, and a bloody good delivery service! The duo say that their strong loyal customer base grew throughout the pandemic, and they also have a strong vegan following now, too.

What is the purpose of Hoba?

Annie and Hope say they want to be part of the change in hospitality, especially as we slowly emerge from the pandemic and into the current cheffing crisis (there is currently a lack of chefs post-Covid).

The duo want to ensure everyone in the team experiences a happy and healthy work environment and culture, stating “we know what we hate, and what we love,” about hospitality. They want to bring only the good stuff to Hoba Kebabs. First and foremost, looking after their staff, meaning you don’t have to lose every night of the week to work, or 11-hour shifts, or split shift weekends. We think we can safely say Hoba strives to deliver on good food, created by an inclusive, awesome group of people.

Considering having a team, Annie and Hope are clearly excited about the next steps and new venue, and understand the importance of looking after their people, explaining “what the team says matters and they have an impact on the business.”