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Samosas on London subway: Viral video draws mixed reactions
The clip has put the Indian snack brand in the spotlight while prompting questions about public-space norms.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 10, Jan 2026
- 14:00 EST
- 43
Screengrab from the reel / Instagram (biharisamosa.uk)
A viral video of a man selling samosas inside a London subway train has gone viral, drawing both praise and criticism and prompting debate about street vending and cultural representation in public spaces.
The clip, posted by Bihari Samosa UK, shows the vendor walking through a station and onto a train while ringing a bell and calling out to commuters.
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In the video, he says, “The railway track is also from London, this station is also from London and the train coming behind is also from London. And from now on, the people here will not eat croissants but will eat Bihari samosas.”
He adds, “In London’s train, the dream of eating samosas has come true,” and repeatedly calls out, “Take samosas, samosas. Take Bihari’s samosas.” The reel directs viewers to the brand’s London locations in South Harrow and Wembley.
The footage has triggered sharply divided responses online. Many users celebrated the moment as a feel-good immigrant success story, with some praising the vendor’s hustle and joking about “reverse colonization.”
Food lovers and members of the Indian diaspora also expressed excitement, with several saying they would travel to try the samosas.
Others, however, expressed discomfort. Some described the street-selling videos as “embarrassing” and raised concerns about “how India was being represented abroad.” In the comments on the viral post, one user wrote, “Is this allowed there??”
Another said, “I don’t know where is station authority and police.”
A third comment read, “Ruined civics sense.” Another user wrote, “You are doing good in your business and as a fellow Indian please stop this nonsense on public spaces. Because of people like you we suffer. So please stop this nuisance.”
In addition to the subway clip, other widely shared videos show the same vendor selling samosas on the streets of London, where people are seen eating them while walking.
In those clips, he is seen moving through busy streets and station areas in a white shirt and a white dhoti, ringing a bell and selling samosas directly to passersby. Several of those videos show long lines of customers waiting to buy the snack.
The vendor featured in the videos is associated with Bihari Samosa Ghantawala, a brand that traces its origins to a stall opened in 1972 in Nadiad, Gujarat.
The business was founded by Kalishaprasad Kishanlal Shah, a migrant from Bihar, who used a family recipe to make samosas and rang a bell — a ghanta — to announce fresh batches. Over time, the name “Ghantawala” became part of the brand’s identity.
The family later expanded the business across parts of Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, and in 2024 opened outlets in the United Kingdom, focusing on areas with a large Indian diaspora.
According to its social media pages, Bihari Samosa UK currently operates from Ealing Road in Wembley and from South Harrow Market.
The London outlets have been promoted heavily through social media, where the bell-ringing ritual and street-level selling have driven large audiences and foot traffic.
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