Veteran Offers Free Chai to Military Members in Sydney

Amarjit Singh Thind knows exactly what a moment of connection means to someone who has served. The former British Army veteran, known as Ambi, now serves up free chai to current and former military members at his Sydney tea bars.

"This is my way of giving back," Ambi tells customers who stop by for the fragrant, spiced tea he brews the traditional way. His offer costs nothing but means everything to veterans like Bill, who served over a decade in the Australian Army.

Ambi's journey to pouring chai started decades ago in 1979, when he finished basic training in the UK and deployed to Germany during the Cold War. He maintained communication centers at British Army bases, always on standby to ensure planes could launch.

"Those were probably the best years of my life," he says. But his next chapter took an unexpected turn.

After migrating to Australia in 1989, Ambi built an IT training business and coached a women's hockey team. That's where chai entered the picture. He'd bring flasks of the traditional Indian spiced tea to training sessions, and the players fell in love with the warming flavors of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and cloves steeped in hot milk.

"Down the track, my chai became so popular that I took four flasks to training, and that became a tradition," Ambi says. By 2019, he opened his first chai bar. Today he runs multiple locations across Sydney and the ACT, with plans to expand to Melbourne and the UK.

Sunny's Take

What makes Ambi's story special isn't just the free chai. It's what happens over those cups. "Over a chai, we sit and talk and get to know each other," he says. "It brings the community closer."

Customer Bob, who migrated from the UK, says the tea reminds him of home. "It brings everyone around the table," he explains. For Ambi, that's the whole point.

His recipe stays true to how his mother made it, no powder or syrup, just authentic spices brewed fresh. Each cup connects him to his own journey from Kenya to the UK to Australia, where chai remained constant through every move.

In a world of conflict and division, Ambi's chai bars offer something beautifully simple: a warm cup, a listening ear, and recognition for those who served.