2022 CURRYLIFE AWARDS BROCHURE

SUNDAY 9th OCTOBER 2022

The Great Room Grosvenor House London 86-90 Park Lane, London W1K 7TL 6:30 PM - 11PM The Great Room (Foyer) 4:00PM - 6.30 PM

Celebrate the achievements of Curry Industry

Welcome to the CurryLife Awards 2022. These prestigious awards - Curry Life Media’s flagship event, are now in their thirteenth year, and we are delighted this year to be hosting the event at a new venue, the Great Room at the Grosvenor House London. Over the last few months, as businesses have continued to recover postpandemic, we have held our renowned culinary workshop with industry experts and connected with hundreds of businesses across the nation, from Edinburgh to Cornwall.

The Awards - and this year we have 40 awards and three special commendations, shine a light on the entrepreneurs and innovators in the curry industry and celebrate the achievements of many businesses. It is inspiring to learn what different curry houses from up and down the UK have been doing in the last year, particularly as the curry industry - like many other business sectors it has to be said, is facing some of its biggest challenges yet.

On the back of emerging, cautiously, from the pandemic, the industry has been impacted by the ongoing energy crisis, with curry houses reporting that their monthly bills have increased at least three-fold, if not more. The price of many ingredients has also rocketed, putting increased pressure on curry houses and their supply chains. Staff shortages, which have been plaguing the industry for many years - both curry houses and the wider hospitality industry, are also threatening to derail many businesses. With a new Prime Minister and her cabinet having only taken office in the last few weeks, there is much uncertainty on the horizon.

At Curry Life, we have heard about many businesses struggling to stay afloat and there is a real fear that if the current situation does not improve, we will see many restaurants closing their doors for good in the new year. As an industry, however, we are known for our resilience, our determination and our hardworking ethic, and many of the 2022 Curry Life Award winners

Syed Belal Ahmed Editor Curry Life Media Group

demonstrate these qualities and more.

This year we are also recognising curry house pioneers. Abdul Ghani, the recipient of our Lifetime Achievement Award, established the highlysuccessful Shezan in Edinburgh in 1977 and the restaurant continues to go from strength to strength. Alauddin Ahmed is credited with bringing ‘curry culture’ to the Staffordshire area in 1962, when he opened Kismet Burslem in Stoke-onTrent, Staffordshire’s oldest Indian restaurant. Sadly, Alauddin Ahmed passed away in 2021, and this year, we also lost two other industry pioneers. Enam Ali, founder of The British Curry Awards and Pat Chapman, who established The Curry Club. We’d like to express our sincerest condolences to their families. It’s also a time to reflect on a wider loss to the nation, with the passing of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II.

As we effectively leave the Elizabethan era behind and enter a new one, it’s a time to look forward. Curry Life will continue its work promoting the

industry and the people involved and the food they have created.

British Curry is now a worldwide brand and Curry Life has played its part in developing this brand, having established and run the British Curry Festival for many years. Our latest one is taking place later this month in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where we will be showcasing chefs and their cuisine. We are delighted to announce that another good friend of the industry, Lord Karan Bilimoria, the founder of Cobra Beer, is accompanying the British Curry Festival team to Bangladesh. The British Curry Festival will take place at Bangladesh’s oldest international luxury hotel, InterContinental Dhaka. We’d like to extend a warm welcome to the IC Dhaka, whose representative is at the Awards and we are thrilled to be hosting our event at such a prestigious location.

We would also like to thank our headline sponsor Just Eat and their team for their continued support and look forward to our partnership continuing beyond 2022, and thank you to our other sponsors - City Bank, Unisoft, Travel Link and WorkPermitCloud for their valuable contributions. A special mention must also go to Cobra Beer and its staff for their valued friendship and support since our magazine launched 19 years ago and our Awards 12 years ago. May we look forward to many more!

Just Eat is honoured to once again be sponsoring the Curry Life Awards and celebrating the achievements of the British Curry Industry.

As we all know too well, the hospitality industry is facing an increasingly tough economic climate. Brexit has reduced the supply of staff and delivery couriers, while the cost of living crisis, soaring energy bills and rising inflation has put upward pressure on prices, as well as on customers’ wallets.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary support. That’s why at Just Eat we’re using our scale and influence to play an active role in creating an environment in which the businesses and individuals within our industry can thrive.

This summer we introduced a £1 million Inflation Support Package to aid small, independent businesses with inflationary pressures. The

fund comprises marketing and financial support, alongside access to fast funding with flexible repayments, via embedded finance provider, YouLend; cashback on supply purchases through Booker Wholesale; and provision of discounted pedal bikes to provide a cheaper alternative to fuel deliveries.

Additionally, Just Eat continues to spearhead the British Takeaway Campaign, calling on the Government to introduce five new policies to support the sector’s growth. These include freezing VAT rates at 12.5%, extending business rates relief until the end of 2022 and introducing a working visa for people from Commonwealth countries.

As the UK’s number one food delivery app, we recognise that Just Eat is only successful if our Restaurant Partners are successful. Moreover, we want to celebrate and champion the people who make this industry like no other.

On behalf of everyone at Just Eat, I would like to congratulate Pasha & Belal for another fantastic Curry Life Awards, and commend all of the winners here this evening.

Mark Finch Account Management Director Just Eat

Iam delighted to congratulate Curry Life Magazine on the occasion of the 2022 Curry Life Awards and Gala dinner. This is one of the major annual events in our industry. The awards are always very well attended by over 1,000 restaurateurs, chefs and members of their teams along with members of the curry industry from every corner of the UK.

The awards always recognise the dedication, hard work and success of the members of the curry industry in the UK as well as the industry’s extraordinary contribution to the British economy - the curry industry is worth over £4 billion and employs over 100,000 people from across the country.

This year the awards will be more important than ever as they will showcase the true resilience and grit of the industry. Post-pandemic we have been faced with a new problem in the form of the cost of living crisis. Inflation has soared to historic levels, and this summer we have seen an energy crisis, a fuel crisis, supply chain issues and labour shortages. However, through this adversity, the curry industry has to date remained so resistant, as the result of tremendous hard work and efforts - it has been truly laudable!

Cobra beer’s journey began in the curry restaurants and these restaurants will always be our foundation. It is all due to the curry restaurants that Cobra is a household name today. We will always be grateful to the

industry and for its continued support.

The curry industry has shown huge resilience and has been supported throughout by the BCA (Bangladeshi Caterers Association) as well as Curry Life magazine. Curry Life is an irreplaceable source of vital and useful news and information for restaurants, helping them be able to strive, improve and excel.

Curry Life has never ceased to provide the industry with help and assistance and has been a true voice for the industry – they helped to keep the industry motivated during challenging times. It has been the backbone of support for our industry, going from strength to strength. Curry Life will always play a vital role in helping restaurants in the future, keeping ahead of the curve and adapting to this ever-changing world.

I congratulate all the nominees and winners of the Curry Life Awards 2022. They are an inspiration to us all and particularly to the younger members of the curry industry, who I am sure will be inspired by these awards and who will aspire to achieve them in the future.

With many thanks and many congratulations to Syed Ahmed and Syed Pasha and all the Curry Life team.

Best wishes

Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL Chairman Cobra Beer Partnership

THANK YOU A word from Curry Life Media

Next year we will celebrate our 20th anniversary and what a journey we have had over the last 19 years. We started Curry Life with a vision to champion and promote the efforts of UK curry houses, which contribute significantly to the UK economy.

We started with our first issue in 2003 and today we have several publications, a dedicated team and a strong nationwide presence, alongside a unique series of events attended by people worldwide. Our publications have consistently grown their readership year-on-

year and cover businesses from every corner of the UK, as well as those from abroad.

We would not be where we are today without the support and trust of our readers, advertisers and friends and the contributions from the thousands of restaurants and takeaways in the hospitality sector. We would like to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to all our supporters who have made - and who continue to make - our publications the very best they can be.

Thank you from the Curry Life Media team

Syed Nahas Pasha Editor in Chief Curry Life Media Group

Awards Host: Adam Boulton

Adam Boulton is a pioneering broadcaster, journalist and author. His insatiable appetite for breaking news, ability to think on his feet and innate analytical skills have seen him host countless hours of live television including rolling Election Coverage from the UK, US, Ireland, France and Germany.

Adam spent more than 30 years at Sky News where his eponymous weekly programme, Sunday with Adam Boulton, had a wide-ranging brief, encompassing everything from politics to popular culture. As Sky News’ Editor at Large he presented the daily All Out Politics programme and podcast.

Adam redefined news coverage in his role as Political Editor at Sky News, harnessing developing technology to introduce onlocation reportage, reaction and analysis in real time. Unique to Sky at the time, this is now the industry standard. In 2010 Adam was instrumental in brokering a deal with David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg to stage the ground-breaking General Election Leaders Debates, so far the only UK election cycle in which they have taken place. Never shy to speak his mind, Adam’s celebrated onair spat with Alastair Campbell in the aftermath of the 2010 election is still one of the most memorable moments of that campaign.

Adam was a key player both on and off screen in the launch of two UK news channels, TV-am and Sky, breaking the mould of the traditional television model in his innovative recruitment and management of staff and resources. Adam has the

distinction of having interviewed every UK Prime Minister since Sir Alec Douglas Home. He has covered all major developments in US politics since the Reagan years, from the USA-USSR Summits through to correctly ‘calling’ the election of President Joseph R Biden live on Sky News. He was a popular choice as winner of the Royal Television Society’s supreme Judges’ Award. Adam also served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Lobby, the elite band of senior political journalists in Westminster. His books include Tony’s Ten Years: Memories of the Blair Administration, an acclaimed account of the Blair government, and the equally well received Hung Together: The 2010 Election and the Coalition Government. He was the political columnist for The Sunday Times for seven years and writes for a number of leading newspapers and periodicals. Much in demand as a public speaker, Adam has delivered keynote lectures for multi-national businesses, economic forums, universities, and media companies. A series of interviews he gave recently on the changing face of the British media has sparked a national debate that shows no sign of abating.

Although best known for his political programmes, Adam has a wide spectrum of interests and is both well informed and witty on a range of subjects. His portfolio includes appearances on such diverse shows as Have I Got News for You, Newsnight, Celebrity Mastermind and Christmas University Challenge. He is proactive on social media, with over 220,000 followers on Twitter.

Adam Boulton Broadcaster, Journalist and author.

SPECIAL AWARDS

SUPPORTED BY

This award is a special recognition for a gentleman who established Kismet Restaurant in Burslem 60 years ago. It is Staffordshire’s oldest Indian restaurant, which is still run by the same family today. Opened by Ala Uddin Ahmed in 1962, Ahmed is credited with bringing ‘curry culture’ to the area, inspiring the locals’ love for curry and training the next generation of curry entrepreneurs.

Salauddin says: “Before he opened Kismet Burslem, my father was working in Liverpool and visited friends in Stoke. He saw the area was booming but noticed there were very few restaurants so together with friends, he opened Kismet Burslem. The menu was nowhere near as extensive as it is today and initially my father also offered English dishes alongside the curries.”

Salauddin remembers his father working very long hours and said he was also very generous with his time in terms of helping others.

25th Anniversary celebration of Kismet Restaurant 12th October 1984 L.Mayor & L. Mayoress of S.O.T, Assist. High Commissioner- Bangladesh John Walley (M.P), Mark Fisher (M.P), County Council & City Council Leaders & Staff Members

Many restaurants in and around Stoke-on Trent are owned and managed by people who previously worked at Kismet. It is now run by his son Salauddin Ahmed and nephew Kobir Uddin Ahmed. Sadly, Curry Legend Alauddin Ahmed passed away last November, and this award is a unique tribute to him in recognition of his contribution to the curry industry.

Hygiene Certificate 1983

“He was very community-spirited and looked after everyone and did a lot of work with race equality,” says Salauddin. “He also helped many former staff members set up their own curry houses and when our restaurant was full, he would recommend people visit these other restaurants. He was generous to a fault and maintained high standards all the time.”

Many readers of Stoke-on-Trent’s local newspaper, The Sentinel, paid tribute to Ala Uddin Ahmed last year. They described him as a ‘true gentleman’ and an ‘absolute legend’.

BURSLEM

Alauddin Ahmed with Salauddin and Kobir Uddin

Late Alauddin Ahmed

CURRY LIFE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Curry Life Lifetime Achievement Award is for a gentleman who set up his first Indian restaurant in Glasgow in the mid-1970s. Abdul Ghani could not have foreseen the long and successful path he had embarked upon. He was inspired by a love of the food he’d got to know growing up in India in the ‘50s, and by a brief spell as a hotel chef when he moved to Scotland before becoming head chef at his own restaurant.

The current guardian of the family’s showpiece Edinburgh restaurant, Shezan, which opened in 1977, is Abdul’s grandson Shahid – who picks up the story. Shahid says: “He worked around the clock and saw the increasing popularity of Indian food through the 80s and 90s, when the curry industry was booming. Many celebrities and government officials passed through the doors in my father’s time, it was the number one restaurant to eat at and be seen in.”

Shahid says that his grandfather’s dishes have stood the test of time and many are still hugely popular with customers today. This restaurant is known for its Shezan Specialities, including Karahi, which makes use of a centuries-old method of cooking, using the cast iron ‘karahi’ bowls and cooking with herbs, spices, masala sauce, fresh garlic and ginger.

The decor, however, has been overhauled - as Shahid explains: “Back in the day, when my grandfather was running Shezan, we had carpets and the decor was very traditional. This has all been changed, with the restaurant featuring an up-todate, modern and contemporary interior.”

Many years ago, Abdul introduced a pre-theatre menu, which is still going strong and which proves very popular with theatregoers heading to the nearby Edinburgh Playhouse, just a few minutes’ walk away. Ever the trendsetter, the restaurant is now looking at introducing plant-based menus.

Shezan Indian Restaurant 25 Union Place Edinburgh EH1 3NQ www.shezanedinburgh.com 0131 557 5098

ABDUL

Abdul Ghani Senior

EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD

SUPPORTED BY

Family values are strong at Zaman’s Restaurant in Newquay, Cornwall. Run and managed by three brothers from the Miah family - Jubed and Abid, who oversee operations and chef ‘Eshan’ Mo, the business has built up a reputation among the local community and visitors alike for its friendly and welcoming service and its ‘home away from home atmosphere.

The word ‘Zaman’ means time in Arabic, reflecting the restaurant’s aim to create a space where people can relax, socialise and enjoy good food. Zaman’s has also earned its fair share of plaudits since it opened in 2016. Mo was recognised as ‘best curry chef in the South West’ by the Bangladesh Caterers Association as part of its October 2019 ‘Chef of the Year Awards. The restaurant received

a Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Award in 2020. This honours the restaurant based on the reviews and opinions from diners over 12 months, across various criteria such as service, quality and customer satisfaction.

The extensive menu features staple curries such as Madras, Bhuna and Korma, alongside several unique dishes, with the restaurant keen to provide an authentic food experience. These include Zaman’s Changasi - chicken or lamb cooked in Zaman’s spiced special garlic sauce and Shatkora Chicken or Lamb, with Bangladeshi lime zest. Zaman’s is also trying to get more people to eat lamb curries. “Our version is cooked slowly for more than four hours and it has an amazing smell and flavour – reminiscent of how the older generation prepared it,” says Jubed.

Its most significant challenge is responding to the widespread rise in costs - Zaman’s has increased prices on its menu by around 10%. Jubed says the price is an area you have to approach with boldness and confidence - you can justify putting up the prices if you are confident that you can deliver on it.

Zaman’s Newquay 142 Henver Road Newquay TR7 3EQ www.zamansrestaurant.co.uk 01637 871010

Authentic food

CURRY LIFE EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD

Salique Meah opened Nellie in 2017 and has owned two restaurants previously; he has plenty of experience in the hospitality industry. In the last few years, the 200-seater restaurant has become known for its strong emphasis on customer service and its range of fusion food. The restaurant rarely does any advertising or marketing, with most customers visiting through word-of-mouth.

Meah runs the front of house while his older brother manages the kitchen. He opened Nellie on the existing site of another restaurant, refurbishing it with a contemporary design, offering a modern Indian dining experience. The restaurant also features a fully licensed bar serving a range of cocktails.

offering smaller portions of a popular dish to appeal to smaller groups of diners for takeaway.

NELLIE INDIAN RESTAURANT ORMSKIRK

Popular dishes include Murghi Chilli Chicken, with bite-sized chicken pieces mixed in egg white and corn flour and cooked in chilli and soya sauce and a lamb shank curry, and there is also a wide selection of vegetarian dishes. Meah says the restaurant has a very loyal customer base and that he continues to evolve the menu to suit customer demand. The lamb shank curry, for example, was inspired by another dish the restaurant previously served - a leg of lamb for between four to six people. While the dish proved popular, there were only a few occasions each month when it was served, so Meah developed the dish into a lamb shank curry,

Meah’s biggest challenge is dealing with rising energy prices and recruiting the right staff. He has recently increased prices on his menu and says he often has to put in extra hours to meet customer demand.

“People have to make the effort to visit us so it’s important to look after them - we have raised our prices but only minimally as the public are struggling too,” says Meah. “We also need to keep the concept fresh so people keep on coming back. We’ve refurbished the restaurant on a regular basis.”

Nellie Indian Restaurant

560 Southport Road Scarisbrick Ormskirk L40 8HQ www.mynellie.co.uk 01704 841222

The team at Nellie

Salique Miah

Family-run Paprika Club has been a fixture in Royal Leamington Spa for more than 27 years. Owner Mohammed Azad puts the restaurant’s success and popularity down to a team effort, offering customers creative dishes in a contemporary setting, alongside excellent customer service. Diners - many of whom return time and again, consistently praise the ‘great food’, service and presentation.

On TripAdvisor, Paprika Club is ranked in the top ten of more than 150 restaurants in Leamington Spa, with reviews saying: 'lovely service and interesting menu’ and ‘easily one of the best restaurants I have been to’.

The 90-seater restaurant, opened on the former site of another Indian restaurant, continues to impress diners with its modern,

contemporary look, featuring bold blue and yellow colours and subtle lighting, as well as its array of dishes. The dine-in menu is extensive, particularly the signature dishes. These include Exquisite Goan Fish Curry, with Bangladeshi freshwater fish prepared with garlic, mustard seed, curry leaf and peppers, onions and tomatoes and Sea Bass Supreme, with the fish served with special spices and turmeric, garnished with baby aubergines.

Sylhetic Special meanwhile is a dish of diced chicken, with selected spices and scotch bonnet, while the Maharaja Special is a sumptuous dish of Tandoori-baked chicken tikka, cooked together with spiced minced meat, onions, green pepper, tomatoes and a touch of jalapeno peppers. There’s also an inviting dessert menu, offering milk cake, Oreo cookie bash and dairy mango or pistachio kulfi.

The restaurant uses social media to connect with its customers and to promote the business, including posts and images on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Paprika Club

22 Regent Street Leamington Spa CV32 5EH www.paprikaclub.co.uk 01926 428272

PAPRIKA CLUB LEAMINGTON

SPA

Paprika Club Kitchen Team

The ever-popular Paprika Club

CURRY LIFE EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD

Cafe Saffron opened in 2001 with a mission to go 'above and beyond for its guests. The restaurant, which can accommodate up to 90 diners in its main area and a further 40 in a party room, offers fine dining cuisine in a contemporary setting. Owner Mohammad Azad says he enjoys travelling abroad as much as he can, to destinations such as Bangladesh, Turkey, Malaysia and Egypt, trying out new spices and ingredients that he can adapt to the menu, with many of the restaurant's dishes invented inhouse.

The restaurant was updated and renovated between 2021 and 2022, giving it a modern, sleek and contemporary look, with wooden floors, chairs and tables in keeping with its desire to offer refined Indian cuisine. Cafe Saffron says it likes to go the extra mile for its diners, considering all dietary needs, whether customers require vegan or vegetarian options, or whether they are wheat intolerant or prefer more healthy choices. It also prides itself on offering the freshest ingredients.

Contemporary design

CAFE SAFFRON SHROPSHIRE

"We've used the best-quality ingredients from day one and we make our own spices in-house," says Azad. "We are very careful not to overspice our ingredients as this can impair the flavoursyou can taste all the ingredients in our food and no two dishes taste the same."

Award-winning, in-house creations on the menu include Tawa Labra and Capsilla, a dish with grilled lamb or chicken combined with honey, fresh ginger, and garlic, cooked in a sauce with spring onion.

Like other restaurants, the cost of ingredients weighs heavily on Cafe Saffron, and it has increased its menu prices to cover the rising costs of utilities and produce. "We need to increase the costs in line with inflation and we think it's better to focus on providing a quality experience for our customers," says Azad.

Cafe Saffron

25 Hill's Lane Shrewsbury SY1 1QU Shropshire www.cafesaffron.co.uk 01743 246 753

Cafe Saffron team

Indian Aroma, located in Gants Hill, has been trading for over two years and specialises in street food starters, showcasing the best of both north and south Indian cuisine. The restaurant’s most popular dishes include dosas and idlis, with owner Sudhir Cheedella on a mission to provide authentic-tasting cuisine with an emphasis on quality and variety.

Cheedella is no stranger to business, having built up successful enterprises in fashion and property. Still, Indian Aroma is his first food venture (although he has been offering general business and customer service advice to restaurants over the last few years). Having opened in April 2020, coinciding with the first Covid-19 lockdown, Cheedella also seized the opportunity to provide

takeaways and introduced a catering service.

The restaurant has built a solid reputation among its customer base for providing dishes with a difference. Popular ones include Biryani Pot, served with a choice of chicken tikka, Hyderabadi chicken, prawn or lamb, Madurai Mutton Sukka (tender lamb infused with south Indian spices) and the Malgudi Fish Fry, boneless tilapia fish pieces deep-fried with south Indian spices and garnished with curry leaves. Indian Aroma has also received praise from its customers for using sustainable packaging for its takeaways. While Cheedella admits this can be an expensive option, he believes the investment will be worth it long-term.

Cheedella is now looking to expand the India Aroma concept with a second restaurant set to open later this year. He is also drawing up plans for a small chain of takeaways and looking to extend his catering arm into a mobile concept for festivals and events.

Indian Aroma

INDIAN AROMA

LONDON

Sudhir Cheedella with his Indian Aroma Team

Cuisine with a difference

Westbourne Tandoori, established for more than 20 years, completed a significant refurbishment last year, changing its furniture and décor and installing a new illuminated marble cocktail bar. The restaurant also now features bifold windows to the front and alfresco tables. The menu was also updated twice last year and now features special deals on certain evenings.

Some of the restaurant’s more unique and popular dishes include Westbourne Tandoori Special, a mix of chicken tikka, lamb tikka and king prawn with green pepper, whole garlic and ginger paste and Garlic Chilli Ruchi Chicken, Lamb or Prawn, featuring garlic, sweet chilli and dill. Zal Chicken, Lamb or Prawn is a dish known for its spices and flavours. Shabnam Chingri is an authentic dish from Kerala with shelled fresh baby lobster prepared with saffron, Keralian spices and coconut milk, tempered with mustard seeds, shredded ginger and curry leaves.

The restaurant was previously nominated for a Curry Life Award. Still, it says this nomination is more valuable than the last and is the result of hard work over the previous year, providing customers with a memorable dining experience.

Owner Saydur Hussain Anwar says: “The restaurant would be nothing without my team and loyal customers. The last year has been a challenge with the increase in the cost

of ingredients and energy, so I have had to be really creative with offers, set menu nights and entertainment to keep ahead of our competition.”

The restaurant has also supported customers with young families this summer by offering children’s meals for free with every paying adult dining in, which Anwar says has been a viral initiative. In the next few months, Westbourne Tandoori will continue evolving its menu and entertainment proposition. Customer feedback says ‘the food and service simply can’t be beaten and that some themed nights represent ‘exceptional value for money.

Westbourne Tandoori 42 Seamoor Road Westbourne Bournemouth BH4 9AS www.westbournetandoori.com 01202 767 142

Westbourne Tandoori’s Anwar with entertainers

Saydur Hussain Anwar

The long-standing, awardwinning Tandoori restaurant

The Indian Ocean has implemented many changes over the years, helping the business thrive even in the most challenging business environments. To manage the shortage of ingredients in the last year, for example, owner Ruhel Hoque decided to reduce the menu by 80%, focusing on seasonal ingredients.

“We had to adapt rapidly to changes around us, and having a seasonal menu is more costeffective and means we can showcase superior produce,” says Hoque. “Menu prices also had to increase, to counter the higher cost of living, across utilities, produce and staff.”

Hoque adds that there are other ongoing challenges, such as a lack of skilled staff in both the

front of house and kitchen. The Indian Ocean is addressing this by adopting new technologies and automating processes across the entire restaurant. In front of house, the restaurant no longer takes orders or table reservations over the phone; this is all done via its website and a mobile restaurant app. Customers can use digital menus to place their orders, which reduces the need for additional staff.

The Indian Ocean has also invested in digital marketing, using Google, text, email and social media to attract new customers and keep in touch with existing ones. The restaurant is also using intelligent ovens and cookers to employ minimal skilled staff to maintain and deliver consistency and quality and has also stopped using table linen. Hoque says this has resulted in substantial savings.

The plan for the future is to keep pace with any further challenges and aim to overcome obstacles as they present themselves, using innovative technologies as and when they become available. The restaurant will also invest further in staff training and continue to add more diverse and seasonal ingredients to its menu.

The Indian Ocean Unit 4 , High Street Histon, Cambridge, CB24 9JE www.theindianocean.co.uk 01223 232466

Ruhel Hoque

CURRY LIFE EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD

Taj Cuisine was established just under 25 years ago and offers a dining experience combining the modern with the traditional. Owner and chef Abul Monsur has an unrelenting focus on serving fresh food made from quality ingredients. The restaurant’s specialties include Bangla Chomok - a medium hot spicy dry curry of chicken, king prawn, peppers and onions, topped with cheese and Zucchini Lamb, with the meat marinated with garlic, ginger, maze, cumin, courgette and pepper.

Monsur, an award-winning chef, says the restaurant offers the modern blended with the traditional, with an emphasis on high-quality ingredients, such as organic vegetable and free range meat. It says it strives to provide the ‘ultimate curry experience’, offering a wide range of fine Indian and Bangladeshi dishes. With everyone impacted by the cost of living crisis, Monsur is focusing on quality across all aspects of the restaurant, from service, to the food to the dining environment.

“Everything is expensive at the moment and if people are spending money on going out, they are expecting quality,” he says. “Customers are happy to pay a little more - we are all supporting each other in these difficult times.”

Chef Abul’s recipes include Bengal Chicken Roulade, with

breast of chicken stuffed with turmeric, garlic, ginger and herbs and finished in a sauce of tarragon, mint leeks and peppers and served with Pilau rice. Ougni Chicken is a dry spicy dish prepared with peppers, onions, roasted cumin and mustard seed, and served with salad, while the Chicken Harialy is marinated in chilli, mint, garlic and coriander, together with special masala and cooked in the tandoor, finished with a rich green sauce of spinach, peppers, fenugreek and chilli.

Taj Cuisine

1 Walderslade Centre Walderslade Road Walderslade Chatham ME5 9UD www.tajcuisine-chatham.co.uk 01634 686648

TAJ CUISINE CHATHAM

Taj Cuisine team

Abul Monsur

BEST RESTAURANT AWARD SUPPORTED

BY

Gateshead-based Namaste & Club Prosecco Lounge has been open for just under three years, and describes itself as offering ‘modern Indian cuisine with an exclusive edge’. Owner Razz Ahmed says popular dishes include its range of lamb specialties, and that customers enjoy the ambience of the restaurant and the fact they can enjoy a large choice of food alongside cocktails and live music.

There’s an extensive choice of menus to choose from, such as a four-course happy hour menu, a four-course set menu, a vegan menu, tapas and vegetarian specialities and diners can also take advantage of a ‘Bottomless Brunch’.

If you’re a fan of Channel 4 food-themed show Come Dine With Me, you may have already

come across the restaurant, as it was featured earlier this year in Come Dine With Me: The Professionals, which sees three restaurants competing against each other and rating one another’s venues to try and win a cash prize of £1,000. Namaste went up against Americanthemed restaurant Pigalos and fish and chippy Balls of Prudhoe and narrowly missed out on the prize but Ahmed said taking part was a fantastic experience and the restaurant had received ‘amazing feedback’.

In response to the rising costs of ingredients, Ahmed has adjusted the menu and decreased the number of items available, while ensuring that those dishes that remain popular are still readily available. For him, it’s all about achieving the right balance. “If customers are not happy, we have to rethink our approach – it can be a constant juggling act from one pressure to another.”

Ahmed’s plans for the future include opening more venues and he says being nominated for a Curry Life Award is a ‘massive achievement’ for the restaurant.

Namaste & Club Prosecco Lounge Streetgate Sunniside Gateshead NE16 5ES www.namasteandclubproseccolounge.co.uk 0191 4884819

Outdoor ambience

Indian Lounge recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and prides itself on being a family-oriented restaurant with a loyal customer base. It is also keenly aware of people’s different nutritional needs, with owner Lathifur Rahman saying it is important to be aware of certain allergies and changing dietary needs, and to cater to these as much as possible.

“People have many questions over allergies and we need to take these into account,” he says. “We try to do the best we can and work around them.” Allergy information is clearly displayed on the restaurant’s website, with a message saying: ‘Some dishes may contain nuts.

If you believe that you have an allergy that could harm your health, please ask a member of staff for assistance before placing your order.’

Rahman’s father is the main chef, who ensures that nothing leaves the kitchen before it has been checked and tasted. Dishes in the Chef’s Signature Collection includes Indian Lounge Duck, consisting of strips of duck, peppers and onions in olive oil, stir fried with fresh ground massala and continental herbs and Gurkali, an exotic mix of spices, red and green pepper, chillies, garlic, ginger, fresh tomatoes and Magee chillies sauce, with fresh lemon juice to give a sharp and distinctive flavour. Balti specialities include

Presentation is key

Balti Akbary Cham Cham, a dish of chicken, lamb tikka, king prawn and tandoori chicken with onion, green and red peppers, coriander, balti sauce and fresh herbs and Balti Joypuri, tender diced chicken tikka or lamb tikka cooked in balti spices with spring onions, red and green peppers, fresh garlic, tomatoes, almond powder and coriander.

“The way we present dishes is key - I also believe that customers’ eyes do the eating,” says Rahman. “

Indian Lounge 51 Bolton Street Ramsbottom Bury BL0 9HU www.indianloungeramsbottom.com 01706 821510

Mint Bay opened earlier this year in February 2022, and in its first few months of trading, has impressed locals with its banquet nights, which take place from Sunday to Thursday. Diners can try a range of food for a set price, which restaurant owner Gias Uddin says has been particularly popular given the cost of living crisis, as it enables diners to try many different items on the menu for a fair price. There is also a discount available for NHS staff.

Uddin planned to open the restaurant last year, but various delays with building works meant a delay until this year, but he has hit the ground running since then. The restaurant offers a cosy, inviting atmosphere and diners are fans of dishes such as Chicken Mint Bahar, pieces of chicken cooked in a

variety of fresh herbs, spices, crushed garlic, ginger, mint, green chillies and lemon juice, with a sharp and hot taste and Tikka Chettinad. This features chicken or lamb tikka delicately marinated with authentic spices and barbecued and glazed, and infused with coconut and mustard seeds, herbs and spices. Dum Gosht, another popular dish, combines tender chunks of lamb cooked on a slow fire with yoghurt, onions and freshly ground spices.

Uddin admits that this is a challenging time to open a restaurant, with the high prices for gas, electricity and food, but he tries to help his customers where he can. The restaurant does not serve any alcohol, but people can bring their own beer and wine without being charged for corkage and deliveries placed before 7pm that reach a certain value can qualify for a discount.

“Customers are struggling and looking for discounts, so we are trying to help where we can without putting too much strain on the business - it’s a delicate balancing act”, says Uddin.

Mint Bay Fine Indian

Cuisine

102 Church Street Highbridge Somerset TA9 3HR www.mintbayonline.co.uk 01278 780 713

Staff at Mint Bay

Mint Bay: newly-opened

CURRY LIFE BEST RESTAURANT AWARD

Syed Mahmud Hussain is the owner of Alfreton-based Curry Lounge and has had a passion for delivering the best in Indian cuisine, with more than three decades-worth of experience within the hospitality industry. The restaurant’s chef also has many years’ experience and customer reviews regularly highlight the ‘excellent service’, ‘top-class food’ and ‘friendly service’. The restaurant is also used for a range of community events, such as charity auctions.

The menu is extensive, with ‘Sizzlers Mains’ and ‘Sizzlers Specials’ alongside a range of Curry Signature’ dishes such as Special Garlic Tikka Korai and Kanzhaana Chicken, chicken cooked with onions, green peppers, garlic, ginger and green chillies. The Deshi Delight is another firm favourite, featuring chicken cooked with spinach, chickpeas, herbs and spices. The menu also features a dish called Exotica, a combination of meat, chicken and king prawn, cooked in a medium-spiced balti sauce with fresh herbs and spices. Begum Bahar is another interesting dish, showcasing chicken barbecued in a clay oven, tossed in butter with fresh cream and tomatoes.

CURRY LOUNGE DERBY

Hussain, who manages the restaurant with his son, says it is important to focus as much on the team running the restaurant as well as the food. Curry Lounge has very loyal staff, which ensures the restaurant maintains

Syed Mahmud Hussain with his both son.

its high reputation within the local community.

“My passion for working in this industry is as strong now as when I first started,” says Hussain. “I am always striving to improve our offering and looking at ways the restaurant can give back to the community.”

Curry Lounge

Nottingham Road, Market Place Somercote, Alfreton Derby DE55 4HT www.curryloungetakeaway.com 01773 528 588

Experienced team

Darshan Nepal says it is the first restaurant to introduce classic and contemporary Nepalese cuisine to Cannock. It opened in February 2020, serving takeaways, and then opened to diners once Covid restrictions were lifted. Customers enjoy the ambience and variety of food, so much so that Darshan says many travel a great distance to dine there.

The restaurant showcases a number of dishes taking people on a journey around modern Nepalese cuisine. The menu offers Nepalese classics such as Chicken Momo: bite-size dumplings filled with a spoonful of chargrilled chicken breast cubes, coated in an exotic marinade and then wrapped in the dumpling dough and steamed with a Veg Momo version available too. Chatpat is a mixture of crunchy, light, puffed rice, peanuts and Bombay Mix, with fresh

pomegranate, tomatoes, onion, lime and tamarind

There is also the creativelynamed ‘Who Killed the Goat’, spring lamb chops delicately spiced and slow cooked in the tandoor oven, served with a drizzle of special sauce and Poleko Lamb, chargrilled spring lamb cubes spiced in an exotic Nepalese marinade. Diners can also opt for more ‘old school’ curries, with paneer, chicken, vegan chicken, lamb and prawn available as a Jalfrezi, Saag. Bhuna, Madras, Vindaloo, Rogan Josh, Karahi, Pathia and Korma curry. Fish dishes include Glasgow Prawn Masala, and Bhote Fish - a seafood special with sea bass cooked with coconut milk, tomatoes, onions and mustard seeds.

The restaurant says it is thrilled to receive a nomination for a Curry Life Award and that it is a rewarding experience. Future plans include maintaining, building and strengthening the restaurant customer base and there are plans to expand Darshan Nepal to other locations.

The restaurant would like to thank all its customers for their loyalty and the entire Darshan Nepal team for their hard work.

Darshan Nepal

172 Walsall Road

Cannock WS11 0JB www.darshannepal.co.uk 01543 578737

DARSHAN NEPAL CANNOCK

Darshan Nepal team

Classic and contemporary cuisine

Namaste & Kings Prosecco Lounge is the sister restaurant to Namaste & Club Prosecco Lounge, both of which are owned by Razz Ahmed. The Kings restaurant, located on the border between Cleadon and Sunderland, describes itself as offering ‘modern Indian cuisine with an exclusive edge’ and offers an array of menus. Diners can choose from an extensive à la carte, which has a four-course happy hour menu alongside a four-course set menu.

There’s also a separate vegan menu, with inventive choices including Adraki Gobi, a north Indian dish featuring cauliflower cooked bhuna-style, flavoured with a ginger spice blend, whole ground coriander and with fresh chopped tomato and Kadai Sabzi. This combines roasted seasonal vegetables from the tandoori clay oven, which are then tossed in a light sauce of aromatic spices and flavours, with the added crunch of mixed capsicum.

Diners can relax in a large beer garden and the modern, bright venue also shows live sports, which helps attract footfall, and there is live music every Friday and Saturday. The lounge part of the restaurant can also be hired for private parties or events.

Ahmed says managing not one but two restaurants in the current economic conditions is a constant juggling act, balancing the needs of

customers and suppliers with those of the restaurant and staff. It’s a challenge that is paying off, as the restaurant has won numerous awards, including one in the last year. Ahmed says this is down to the hardworking members of staff and the overwhelming number of regular customers that have supported the establishment of the business.

Nazreen is on a mission to celebrate the best of Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine and has won a plethora of awards in recent years, testament to its inventive cuisine and creative presentation. The restaurant opened in 2013, and over the last decade, it has built quite the reputation among diners from the local area and those further afield. Diners leave glowing reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor, with all aspects of the restaurant, from the food to the service to the ambience receiving praise.

Owner Muhammed Imran Khan says the restaurant's appeal lies in its rustic, home-style cooking methods, which recreates authentic, flavoursome dishes, featuring farm-fresh ingredients from across the local area. Staff have many years of experience between them, ensuring that customers leave the restaurant

more than satisfied, and are eager to come back. Nazreen can also cater for events and parties. The restaurant has a range of options for diners, such as banquet nights during the week and Sunday specials, where diners can enjoy a reasonably priced four-course meal, available both for dine-in and collection to eat at home. The menu features Nazreen's 'Mossalla' dishes - where meat (chicken or lamb) fish, and vegetables have been marinated for several hours in a homemade sauce, together with special herbs and spices, barbecued over a flaming tandoori oven and then cooked in an enriched masala sauce.

Just last year the restaurant was a Bronze award winner in the 2021 Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards, and it is honoured to have received a nomination for the Curry Life Awards.

Nazreen Restaurant 98 High Street Burton Latimer Kettering NN15 5LA www.nazreen.co.uk 01536 725599

The Nazreen kitchen team

Imran Khan with his father.

CURRY LIFE BEST RESTAURANT AWARD

Winchester-based Rimjhim opened 15 years ago. Owner Showquat Ahmed also has a number of other restaurants in the area and has been working in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years. He takes a very hands-on approach to the business, making regular changes to the menu and keeping up with the latest trends, such as the growing popularity of vegan dishes.

The 150-seat restaurant’s bestselling dishes include chicken Chettinad, a hot south Indian delicacy of free range chicken breast marinated with coconut, star aniseed, red chillies, black peppercorns, and curry leaves, roasted in the oven and served with pilau rice. People also enjoy the Tawa Masala, with lamb cooked with ginger, garlic, fresh green chillies and coriander.

“Being nominated for an award is a great honour and a boost for the business,” he says. “People get to know the restaurant more and they help support the business over the long-term,” he says.

INDIAN RESTAURANT WINCHESTER

Ahmed has made some changes to the business in the face of challenging economic times, such as reducing the number of front of house and kitchen staff, taking some items off the menu and cooking slightly more than the number of bookings on any one evening. This has resulted in less waste and more efficient processes in the kitchen. Ahmed has also devised more vegan and vegetarian dishes - not only are these a sign of changing food trends, but they are also costing less to make than meat ones.

Rimjhim has also introduced set meals at lunchtime and a Sunday buffet option which features three main courses and two sides, enabling people to sample a wider range of the restaurant’s food while continuing to keep waste to a minimum.

Rimjhim Indian Restaurant

1-3 City Road Winchester SO23 8SD www.rimjhim.co.uk 01962 868352

RIMJHIM

Rimjhim team

Rimjhim boss Showquat (left) with manager

Refined dining at The Fat Buddha

“We are perhaps more fortunate than other restaurants as we are located in an affluent area and people are still coming here to eat as they would have done a year ago,” says Ali. “Unlike other establishments, we also get a steady footfall over lunchtime from the many businesses in the local area, who enjoy our lighter tapas-style menu, which can also be served to those who have a limited amount of time to dine.”

The Fat Buddha in Maidenhead, which opened just over two years ago, continues to go from strength to strength. Customer reviews say it is the ‘best place in Berkshire’ and ‘Maidenhead’s Best’. Owner Shorif Ali says keeping staff motivated and loyal is a key part of running a successful restaurant, alongside having a flexible approach to menus and reacting to changing food trends.

Ali says that the current high energy prices have not impacted the business too much but it will be a different story come winter, when he is expecting an increase in bills. The price of ingredients however has increased by a huge percentage, and Ali says it is difficult to know how to manage this long-term.

Takeaways have also remained consistent too and Ali and his chef Jafor Solim Uddin, who heads up the kitchen, regularly revise the menu, removing items that may not be selling well or which are too expensive to produce in the current climate. Ali plans to expand the business in the near future (there is another branch of the restaurant in Berkhamsted) but for the present time, he is focusing on ensuring The Fat Buddha maintains its high reputation.

Shorif Ali (left) and Jafor Solim Uddin

CURRY LIFE BEST RESTAURANT AWARD

Indian Rassasy opened in 2018 in Bristol and has built a reputation among its customers for offering good service, delicious food and an inviting atmosphere. Owner Shamsuddin Bagalkote says being nominated for a Curry Life award is a very proud moment for the restaurant and he is excited to receive the recognition, having only been trading for four years.

The restaurant received rave reviews when it opened and it prides itself on offering authentic Indian food akin to a fine dining experience, within a formal yet friendly atmosphere. Even the name reflects what it does: the word Rassasy dates back to the 15th century and means ‘to satisfy guests with a great meal’.

Indian Rassasy cuisine wows diners

Indian Rassasy: reaching new heights

INDIAN RASSASY BRISTOL

The restaurant’s standout dishes include Dakshin Duck, a specialty from south India, consisting of roasted duck breast simmered in caramelised onions, tomato and red peppers in a fresh, smooth coconut sauce. Karaikudi Chicken or Lamb, another classic south Indian dish from the Chettinand region, showcases meat marinated in yoghurt, turmeric, red chilli paste and black pepper, with coconut and homemade spices. The Smoked Laal Maas is an intriguing Rajasthani delicacy, with French trimmed lamb chops cooked in a smoked spicy tomato curry, served on a bed of spiced rustic mash potato.

Bagalkote is committed to giving the best and gaining more recognition and accolades for the restaurant. The restaurant’s diners are certainly pleased with what he has achieved thus far, with reviews on TripAdvisor featuring comments such as: ‘just excellent cooking’, ‘best Indian meal in years’ and ‘great food and presentation’. Many diners say it is the best Indian restaurant in Bristol, something which is sure to encourage Bagalkote - and Indian Rassasy, to reach even greater heights.

Indian Rassasy

275 Hotwells Road Bristol BS8 4SF www.indianrassasy.com 0117 329 4848

Junoon is a relative newcomer to the curry industry scene, having opened just over a year and half ago, in April 2021. It describes itself as offering ‘classic Indian fare with a modern twist’ and with its opening coinciding with the onset of tough business conditions, Junoon says it is grateful for the support it has received from the local community.

“It has been quite difficult to get customers to come out but locals have supported us and that has been really positive,” acknowledges owner Mohammed Shaek Ahmed, who has worked in restaurants from a young age.

Ahmed is proud of the fact that the restaurant does everything for itself and is not linked to any third-party platforms and says

this is a sign of its popularity and its solid reputation among the local community. Sourcing staff has been a challenge this year but Ahmed is confident this is something he can overcome.

“It’s an honour to be nominated for an Award, and it’s incredibly motivating,” he says. “I have a real passion for cooking, and love being in the kitchen. We have regular feedback from our customers and take all of it on board.”

Diners can indulge in ‘Junoon Delicacies’ such as Duck Xacuti, a grilled smoked supreme of Barbary duck in a classic fullflavoured curry. It features roasted star anise, javaantine and fenugreek seeds with special Goan red chillies, coconut, cinnamon and a hint of orange zest. There’s Handi Lamb, a richly-spiced curry, traditionally cooked on the bone for a deeper flavour, while a Goan speciality, Balchao, is a curry with a hot and full-flavoured sauce.

Junoon

Mohammed Shaek Ahmed

CURRY LIFE BEST RESTAURANT AWARD

Masala City opened in 2016, offering a range of dishes spanning Tandoori, traditional Indian and fusion cuisine. The restaurant is also keen to make its dishes more healthy, using olive oil as a replacement for ghee as one example. Owner Murad Hossain, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, is very much hands-on with the business, being involved in both front-of-house and the kitchen.

The restaurant’s most popular dishes include its Tandoori Specials and Bengali Chilli Chicken, an authentic dish based on an original Bengali recipe with a blend of chillies, spices and herbs. Customers also enjoy the Chicken Chilli Masala, a flavoursome dish cooked with red and green peppers and onions and spiced with dried chilli and a special grind of spices.

Hossain has increased prices on his menu in response to the rising energy and food costs and says his customers are willing to pay more as long as they feel the end product is worth it.

“We didn’t get any negative feedback when we raised prices, and at the end of the day, everyone is in the same boat,” he says. “As long as you are providing food and service of the highest quality, people will pay, regardless of the cost. Whether it is takeaway or dine-in, it’s about making it worth their while and

ensuring customers are getting an experience they cannot get elsewhere.”

Hossain says both he and his customers are excited to receive a nomination for the Curry Life Awards, and that it provides a boost for the restaurant’s reputation. Over the next few months, he is looking to expand the business and change the decor and furniture. “There is a lot of competition in Chichester but it’s good as it means we keep adapting, ensuring we are providing the best service and food.” he says.

City

Murad Hossain

Nazmin’s has been a southwest London institution for close to 50 years, having been opened in 1966 by Mr Choudhury, who named the restaurant after his daughter. Fast forward to 2022 and it’s now in the capable hands of owner and head chef Mayon Miah, who first started working there in 1991, as a waiter. The restaurant has grown from strength to strength and was recognised as Wandsworth’s ‘best eatery’ in the 2019 Wandsworth Business Awards.

Miah says it’s important to adapt the business to changing times and customer needs. To this end, he revisits the menu on a regular basis, adding new signature dishes. He also took on the challenge of working in the kitchen, enabling him to have full control of the business so that he is not reliant on always having

to find specific staff members.

Top-selling dishes include Haryali Murgh, a hot dish cooked using only green ingredients, with chicken combined with green peppers, green chillies and spinach.

Lamb also features extensively on the menu, including the Lamb Massaman curry, with lamb shank bhuna-style with coconut milk and the Karahi Gust Bhuna, wth ginger and garlic boneless lamb shank coated in a thick sauce. Sea Bass Kerela is also on the menu, showcasing pan-fried sea bass on a potato cake with a mild coconut flavour. Caroline Chicken Bhuna is a dish named after a customer who requested this particular curry - boneless chicken thighs with onions and tomato in a thick sauce.

Miah says he is thrilled to be nominated for a Curry Life Award and says it’s a great sign of how much his customers appreciate the restaurant’s food and service. His future plans include starting a dark kitchen.

“It will be somewhere local as takeaways have reached a volume where it is becoming harder to control, so a purposebuilt kitchen specifically for my takeaway needs will be the solution,” he says.

Nazmin's 398 Garratt Lane Earlsfield, London SW18 4HP www.nazmins.com 020 8946 2219

NAZMIN’S

LONDON

Nazmin’s: award-winning team

Mayon Miah

Kismet opened in Hartshill in 2018 and is the sister restaurant to the celebrated Kismet in nearby Burslem, established in 1962 by curry pioneer Ala Uddin Ahmed. His son Salauddin Ahmed oversees both restaurants alongside his day job as a solicitor. In the last four years, Kismet Hartshill has built an enviable reputation among its customer base for both its food and its presentation.

The restaurant was opened on the site of an existing Indian restaurant. “We hadn’t planned to open another restaurant but the opportunity came about as the existing owner was a friend of ours who was looking to sell the business,” explains Salauddin. “I had eaten there previously with my family so it seemed like a good opportunity.”

Kismet Hartshill says it ‘offers a world of flavours and spices, which all come together to create a dining experience that will transport you to another world,’ with freshly-prepared authentic curries to suit a range of tastes. Its specialities include Nawab Chicken, with marinated chicken tikka cooked in a mild sauce, with tomatoes, garlic, peppers and garlic mushrooms and Chicken Rajella, a dish with the meat marinated and cooked in very rich spices, with green chillies and yoghurt, then topped with coriander and onions.

Kismet Hartshill: refined dining

“The concept for Kismet Hartshill is to offer refined dining, with the emphasis on presentation as well as flavours,” says Salauddin. “We are also keen to follow the latest trends - we get many customers who are interested in vegan dishes and a lot of our quorn options are proving popular, alongside our vegetable ones.”

These include Quorn Massalla and Quorn Rajella, and vegetables served Korai or Jalfrezi-style. Salauddin adds that the restaurant has looked at developing a vegan menu, as well as exploring healthier versions of more traditional dishes.

Kismet Restaurant Hartshill

558 Hartshill Road Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke on Trent ST4 6AF www.kismethartshill.co.uk 01782 618851

The well-established 120-seater Nawab Lounge, which opened 17 years ago, impresses diners with its location as well as its south Asian-inspired food. It’s located within a historic building, offering diners an atmospheric environment where they can enjoy a range of dishes, including Xucuti Chicken or Lamb and Banjari Gost.

The Xucuti dish is a very popular one originating from Goa, cooked with roasted aromatic spices, while Banjari Gost features lamb medium-spiced, cooked with pumpkin in a thick sauce. Nawab Lounge owner Abdul Halim says the restaurant distinguishes itself with its authentic Indian recipes and its ambiance, and diners also enjoy talking to the manager, Mr Miah.

The restaurant says it has gone back to the very roots of Indian

cuisine, working with professional chefs from every region of the subcontinent to source dishes that are traditional and bringing them up to date with cooking methods that are wholly modern. Staff also provide fast and efficient service and the restaurant is keen to tailor dishes to customers’ tastes, saying ‘if you fancy a dish that is not on our extensive menu just ask.’

“We can seat up to 120 people and we have noticed the impact of the cost of living crisis,” says Halim. “Our regular customers are perhaps not coming as often as they have in the past - instead of dining out every two weeks it may be once a month now. But we are finding that they are keen to make that moment an experience and really treat themselves and our unique dishes enable them to do just that.”

Halim continues to invest in the restaurant, with small refurbishments carried out every year and in 2023, he intends to redecorate more extensively. “It’s important to keep the look and the feel of the restaurant up to date, even though we are located in a historic building,” he says.

Nawab Lounge 3 South Street St. Neots PE19 2BW www.nawablounge.uk 01480 473473

CURRY LIFE BEST RESTAURANT AWARD

NAWAB LOUNGE ST NEOTS

The Nawab Lounge kitchen team

Abdul Halim

CURRY LIFE BEST RESTAURANT AWARD

Opened around 50 years ago, Monty’s Curry Centre is located in Stanford-Le-Hope and is one of the oldest restaurants in Essex. It has been in Mohammed Rahman’s family for 20 years. Rahman says the restaurant prides itself on its consistent, tasty food and its attention to service. Many of its existing customers used to visit Monty’s with their families when they were young.

“The restaurant is a real fixture in the town,” affirms Rahman. “A unique dish would probably be our King Prawn Zafran, cooked on the shell, it has sweet caramelised onions combined with cinnamon. A surprising number of our customers can handle our spicy Lamb Nagait’s very popular with its aromatic spices, naga flavour and succulent meat.”

Focus on regional cuisine

MONTY’S CURRY CENTRE ESSEX

Other dishes on the menu reflect regional cuisine from across India. These include Chicken Chettinand, a south Indian dish with chicken cooked with ground black pepper, dry chillies, tomatoes and coconut milk and Fish Makanwalla from the Punjab region. The dish features fish fillet cooked in a rich sauce with cream, ghee, tomato purée and lemon juice. There’s also Imli Gosth - lamb cooked in a tamarind-based sauce with dates and chilli powder, giving the dish a combination of sour, sweet and spicy flavours and

Xacuti Chicken, a Goan dish with dessicated coconut, curry leaves, mustard seeds and dried chillies.

Rahman says that being nominated for a Curry Life award is a great feeling, ‘especially after everything everyone is going through,’ in these tough times. “To have a nomination from our customers just makes us want to do better in every single way,” he adds. In the future, Rahman hopes his customers continuing visiting the restaurant and enjoying the food and he hopes to try out new ideas that he has been researching and planning.

Monty's Curry Centre

6 Corringham Road Stanford-Le-Hope Essex SS17 0AH

www.montyscurrycentreonline.com 01375 673 015

The Monty’s Curry team

get a range of authentic flavours which are modern too,” says Sajed.

Reviews on TripAdvisor highlight the professional service and tasty food, and the level of personalisation, with one saying: “They were more than accommodating with our requests to tune the heat of the dish to our individual tastes.

Customers praise the food

Indigo Indian Dining may only have been trading for less than a year, having opened in December last year, but its owners have a wealth of experience to bring to the business. The 72-seater restaurant has built up a good reputation in a short space of time among its customers, who regularly praise the service and the food.

Shamin Ahmed and his son Sajed have previously worked at other restaurants and saw a gap in the market in Saffron Walden for an Indian restaurant serving good-quality food. “We thought the area would benefit from our concept - it’s well populated so there is plenty of room for a few restaurants. We make a few varieties of sauces in-house and make sure that each one is different - sweet, sour, intense or spicy for example, so our diners

Sajed says that opening in these challenging times has been a tough but rewarding experience, and says that once customers have dined at the restaurant, they have spread the word, bringing in new business.

“We invest in our staff and our food and always address customer issues - whether big or small, it’s important to ensure that the customer enjoys their experience each and every time,” says Sajed.

The family has ambitious plans for the future, including expanding to create another Indigo Indian restaurant although Sajed emphasises that it is important to grow the business at a steady rate.

Indigo Indian Dining

18 George Street

Saffron Walden CB10 1EQ www.indigodining.com 01799 522739

The Indigo Indian team

Ahad: a Gosforth gem

CURRY LIFE BEST RESTAURANT AWARD

Ahad Tandoori, which can seat up to 100, occupies a prime position on Gosfor th’s High Street and is well known in the local area, having opened back in 1986. It is owned and managed by Ahmed Ali and his three sons and diners love the ‘authentic food’ and ‘very friendly service’. The restaurant underwent a major refurbishment while it was closed to diners during Covid, swapping a traditional decor for a more modern look and feel, while new dishes were also added to the menu.

“We introduced Railway Lamb, with slow-cooked tender lamb delicately spiced with roasted dry red chilies, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, garlic and ginger - it’s one of our best sellers,” says son Tahim, who works in the front of house and as a chef. “Our house specials - Jalfrezi and Baltis are quite different to ones served at other restaurants as we have our own mix of house spices.”

As the menu describes, Chef Special Garlic Balti is Ahad’s very own adaptation of the traditional Balti. It consists of dry red chilli, roasted garlic, fried onions, and peppers with hints of cumin, ginger and Ahad's house spice. The recipe for the Chef Special Jalfrezi, meanwhile, is kept a closely-guarded secret.

the first time in ten years) in response to rising inflation, both existing and new diners continue to be supportive.

Tahim says his biggest influence has been his parents, who have taught him a wealth of recipes and cooking techniques. “I'm a big foodie too and have travelled quite a bit, so I’m always inspired by different dishes I’ve tasted in various places,” he says.

Ahad Tandoori

78-82 Gosforth High Street Gosforth NE3 1HB www.ahadtandoori.co.uk 0191 4065299

AHAD TANDOORI GOSFORTH

Gosforth is an affluent area and Ahad has a loyal customer base, so while the restaurant has increased menu prices (for

Tahmid Ahmed

Indian Rooster is no stranger to awards, having been named as a finalist for ‘Best Indian Street Food’ at this year’s Leicester Curry Awards. The restaurant is owned by Vimal Rana, who says Indian Rooster is proving particularly popular among the younger generation in the area, thanks in no small part to its emphasis on providing healthier dishes.

Indian Rooster aims to provide ‘authentic Indian street food with a touch of sophistication’, replicating the taste and flavours of Indian food as if you were in the destination itself. Food is cooked on a charcoal grill and the restaurant was launched earlier this year by Rana, who runs two other restaurants in the local area - The Royal Indian and a second Indian Rooster, alongside a catering business.

It serves a wide variety of Indian street food dishes, including BBQ skewers, full chicken, chat, burgers, sharing platters, naan rolls, curries, Indo-Chinese options, sizzlers and more. You’ll find dishes such as Authentic Dhaba Chicken Curry, with a traditional curry sauce made with handpicked herbs and spices, aiming to emulate the taste of a roadside Dhaba on motorways in India and Keema Peas Curry, lamb mince cooked in flavoured sauce, spices and peas, garnished with coriander and green chilies.

Healthier options include the ‘Healthy Box’, with Chicken Tikka, Boneless Karmos, Chicken Kebab, Pilau Rice and salad. Breakfast is also available, with Indian Rooster’s early morning menu featuring Desi Breakfast Meal, Indian Masala Toast and Omelette Wrap.

“We offer Indian-style burgers as well as classic options and combination deals, alongside a range of healthier dishes, with rice and chicken cooked using less oil,” says Rana. “We have got quite a following already in the short time we have been open.”

Indian Rooster 80 Queens Road Leicester LE2 1TU www.indianroosterleicester.com 0116 4977541

Indian Rooster team

Vimal Rana

BEST CHEFF AWARD

CURRY LIFE BEST CHEF AWARD

Chef Babul Miah is in charge of the kitchen at Indian Diner and has more than 20 years experience. The restaurant takes a healthy approach to cooking, minimising the use of additives in its dishes. Customers love dishes including King Prawn Mirchi, featuring vibrant green chillies, Tandoori Garlic Chilli Chicken and Methi Gosht Special, lamb cooked with spring onions, tomatoes and ginger and fresh fenugreek.

Miah is focused on always delivering the best in terms of the quality of food, showcasing fresh ingredients, while also delivering modern dishes that appeal to customers. Signature dishes include Chicken Morisa, grilled chicken cooked with green peppers, green chillies and a combination of crushed whole spices, coated in a hot sauce and Diner Special Vegetable, with the dish cooked in an iron souk, with garlic, ginger, ground peppercorns and whole roasted spices. The chef also recommends Chicken Dhakeshwari, with pieces of chicken marinated in herbs and spice, garnished with mango pulp and ground almonds producing a very mild and creamy dish.

INDIAN DINER WEST WICKHAM

Duck dishes are also popular; the restaurant has Duck Honey Breast, braised in Indian Diner’s own blend of spices and Methi Duck, with the meat cooked with spring onions, tomatoes

and ginger and served with a generous portion of fresh fenugreek, tempered with garlic and whole roasted Indian spices.

Owner Makdad Khan has several other businesses in the surrounding area and is keen to expand more if the right opportunity arises. “We are very excited to be nominated for an award this year”, says Khan. “We are also very pleased that our food and service is being recognised by our diners in this way, it is a real confidence boost”.

Indian Diner

101 High Street West Wickham, Kent BR4 0LT www.theindiandiner.co.uk 020 8777 7200

The Indian Diner team

Chef Babul Miah

Zyka’s head chef Tipu Miah has been with the restaurant since it first opened. He loves nothing better than recommending dishes to customers and says the most popular dishes are the Karahi and Dansak curries. Diners love the depth of flavour and the use of authentic spices and Miah says seeing the high levels of customer satisfaction is hugely rewarding.

Miah says the restaurant prides itself on serving simple dishes, prepared really well. “We don't offer a huge choice of unique dishes as we feel that serving the highest quality ingredients, prepared expertly, goes a lot further than simply offering an array of gimmicky dishes,” he says. “We use local suppliers where possible, and I've had the same team that have been with us since we opened in October

2017, so we're able to deliver the highest quality as well as consistency.”

Miah acknowledges that being a chef can be incredibly hard work, however, he says seeing the feedback and hearing that customers have travelled miles to enjoy the food is hugely rewarding.

“Being nominated for a Curry Life Award is amazing,” he says. “I’ve been working in restaurants since leaving school and so this is a real highlight.”

Despite the increased costs of running a restaurant, Zyka’s owner Zakir Khan says it is intent on keeping standards as high as possible. It says it will not be cutting corners and will continue to offer the same level of care in preparation and presentation as well as using the highest grade of fresh ingredients.

“I’d like to thank all the customers nominating me and the restaurant,” adds Miah. “A further thanks should go out to all of our team for making this possible, as without them we wouldn't have the smooth operation that we do.”

Zyka Restaurant

6 Park Lane Tilehurst Reading RG31 5DL www.zyka.co.uk 0118 942 7788

CURRY LIFE BEST CHEF AWARD

The Zyka team

ZYKA READING

Diners enjoy depth of flavours

HIMALAYA TANDOORI BRIDGNORTH

Dudu ‘Dave’ Miah has been at Bridgnorth’s Himalaya Tandoori for well over three decades now, and the restaurant is also one of the oldest in the area. He continues to impress with his inventive take on dishes and his passion for cuisine, as well as his dedication to his craft and his customers. He believes it is important to keep bringing fresh ideas to the table and adapts many of his recipes from ideas picked up from travels to Bangladesh, before testing them in the restaurant with customers.

One such dish is ‘David’s Special King Prawn’, developed from a recent trip. Miah is also keenly aware of the latest food trends, in particular people wanting to eat more healthily. The restaurant has already cut down on its use of ghee over the last few years and more recently, Miah has looked at reducing meat consumption, introducing more fish dishes to the menu. Miah has also launched a range of dishes dubbed ‘Dave’s Specials’. This includes ‘David’s Special Recommended Low Calorie Meal’, which features selected chicken breast fillet strips, marinated with fresh herbs and spices, and baked in a clay oven, served with Indian vegetables.

Himalaya has many loyal customers and Miah knows many of them by name, a testament to his friendly, welcoming nature. Television presenter Mike Bushell,

the community.”

Dave Miah (centre) with team members

Chef Bakhtiar Murshed has been making his mark at Fusion Foods over the last three years, and has been a chef for 10 years, having learnt his craft from his family: his father was a chef and his mother was a keen cook. Many of Murshed’s recipes are adapted from those passed on by his parents, with a few tweaks to add his own stamp. The restaurant prides itself on its loyal customer base and is very active on social media channels such as Facebook.

Murshed regularly tests new dishes out on customers when they come in and order takeaways, giving them samples for several dishes and asking them to narrow these down to their three favourite ones. Customers are eager to give their opinion and Fusion Foods owner Gyash Uddin says that even those who may have cut down

on their takeaways are tempted to come back when these new dishes are on the menu.

Murshed’s suggestions under ‘Chef’s Choice’ include Chicken or Lamb Nehari, with minted meat in a medium cream-based sauce, and Chicken or Lamb Naga, a spicy dish prepared with a special blend of naga in a bhuna-style sauce. He’s also recently introduced dishes to the menu such as Chicken Chatnot, a hot dish originating from Nepal and Dumpak Chicken, tender chicken breast stuffed with spinach and cheese and served either medium or hot in a rich sauce.

Uddin says it is very difficult to find a skilled chef and that Murshed’s strengths lie in the consistency of his cuisine and the quality of the flavours he produces, as well as his hardworking ethic. “Some chefs have a good day, some have bad days, Murshed always has good days,” he says.

Fusion Foods 121 High Street Markyate Herts AL3 8JG www.fusionfoodsonline.co.uk 01582 842753

Chef Bakhtiar Murshed

CURRY LIFE BEST CHEF AWARD

Pink Garlic’s success is down to Chef Shebul Miah’s passion for producing dishes that remind its customers of home-cooked foodflavoursome, comforting and authentic dishes that leave them wanting more. Owner Shamsul Hussain opened the eatery in 2007 and is continually looking to improve his offering, across the food, service and how he runs the business. As one example, he is considering investing in sustainable packaging in the near future and is looking at new technology to invest in.

Miah is keen to challenge people’s taste buds, with flavours that are different to what people would normally experience from a takeaway. Dishes on the menu include Chicken Rajeshwari, barbecued chicken cooked in a specially prepared sauce with Bangladesh chilli, pickle and lime in a fairly hot sauce and Special Chicken or Lamb Mozah, with meat cooked in savoury garlic and tamarind sauce with fresh aubergine, green pepper, tomato and coriander, producing a medium hot taste.

app and it also has its own drivers. Hussain says he is continually looking to invest in technology to improve the online ordering service. Customers can benefit from discounts off online collection orders when ordering through the website and they can also create an account with Pink Garlic, enabling them to quickly reorder their favourite takeaways or easily find a previous order.

Pink Garlic

PINK GARLIC BRENTWOOD

Over lockdown, Hussain says business was booming but he is acutely aware of the challenges ahead with the increased price of food and utilities and sky-high costs for gas and electricity. Pink Garlic handles its own deliveries, rather than using a third-party website, as Hussain says this can be very costly. Orders are made via the takeaway’s website and

4 North Road, Brentwood CM14 4XE www.pinkgarlicbrentwood.co.uk 01277848600

An experienced team at Pink Garlic

Pink Garlic: takeaway success

Chef Shohidul Haque is in charge of the kitchen at the 40-seater Viceroy, which was established in east Sussex in 1986 He studied for a Master's in business management at Sunderland University and chose to become a chef because of his passion for food. His culinary skills have helped The Viceroy cement its reputation as a gem of a restaurant, with diners highlighting the ‘nice ambience’ and ‘excellent food’.

Signature dishes on the menu include Dixit Duck Surprise, with meat cooked with exotic spices, lentils, green peppers and tomato and the Coconut Chicken Lasan, consisting of a whole breast of chicken stuffed with coconut and grilled, with a coconut sauce with cream. The chef has also devised a number of house specials, such as Chilli

Lamb Shank, a specialty from the Avadh region, featuring a shank of lamb braised with a mixture of chilli and ginger and simmered in a lentil and onion based sauce. There is an ample selection of fish dishes too,including Mysore Prawn, fried prawn pieces lightly battered and tossed with green chilli, onion and tomato and Kola Fish, spicy hot balls of river fish, deep fried with a coating of light batter served with a medley of chutneys.

While The Viceroy has been serving customers for close to four decades, many of whom visit on a regular basis, it is still very much on-trend with diners’ tastes. It caters for various dietary requirements and has an impressive selection of vegan options, including Vegetable Sizzler Juliet and Quorn Massala and Korma. If you are spoilt for choice or need any help with the ingredients in each dish, the restaurant is more than happy to oblige.

The Viceroy Restaurant

4 Bridge Street Newhaven East Sussex BN9 9PJ 01273 611100

Shohidul Haque

CURRY LIFE BEST CHEF AWARD

Bengal Spice in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire is a real family affair, owned by Chef Syed Mojumdar and his wife, while their daughter manages the front-of-house. Mojumdar has been a chef for just over a decade now and trained back in Bangladesh. He is keen to promote the authentic taste of curries to his customers and in particular, highlight the differences between Bengali and Indian dishes.

The restaurant also specialises in catering for weddings, parties, receptions and business functions and customers can also benefit from discounts by joining the restaurant’s ‘Gold Club.’

“I love to create my own dishes and especially Bangladeshstyle curries and spices - they are similar to Indian curries but there are subtle differences with the spicing,” says Mojumdar. “Cooking is my passion and I like nothing better than to give customers dishes they would not get elsewhere.”

including Bengal Spice Special Jalfrezi (piece of tandoori chicken sheek kebab, chicken tikka and lamb tikka in a fairly spicy jalfrezi sauce) and Royal Mango Chicken Delight (shredded tandoori chicken cooked with fresh cream, mango and almonds). The Sylhety Shatkora Gosht features marinated, tender pieces of lamb, while Green Chicken Tikka Hariyali showcases a medium hot Bangladeshi curry.

BENGAL SPICE WISBECH

The ‘Tandoori Bazaar’ menu is popular among customers, featuring Chicken Julliet (marinated pieces of chicken cooked in the tandoori oven, lit up with brandy), Tandoori Chicken, Lamb and Chicken Tikka and a Chicken Tikka Paneer Mix Grill, among other dishes. Mojumdar says customers also enjoy his signature dishes,

Customers say the service is very welcoming, and highlight the ‘comfortable-looking restaurant’ and the ‘excellent’ food, praising its freshness and the different flavour combinations.

Bengal Spice 22-24 Norfolk Street Wisbech Cambridgeshire PE13 2LF www.bengalspicewisbech.co.uk 01945 474677

Chef Mojumdar with members of the team

Focus on tradition

Chef Mohammed Joynal Abedin Chowdhury has been cooking up a storm at Welwyn Garden City’s Raj of India for several years. He has decades’ worth of experience, having been a chef since 1994 and is as well regarded for his culinary skills as he is for the way he motivates and encourages staff at the restaurant.

The restaurant, which seats up to 60, has best-selling dishes including Railway Lamb, described as an ‘Anglo-Indian’ specialty, and featuring lamb and baby potatoes cooked with fresh spinach and rich herbs and spice. There’s also Takatan, a medium dish with lamb cooked with onion, green pepper and plenty of fresh herbs.

Peri Peri Khana showcases selected ground spices, and fresh herbs combined with the chef’s

own recipe, finished with sliced green chillies and coriander. Chowdhury’s fish dishes are also renowned for their freshness and authenticity and all-time favourites include Chicken Tikka Massala and Jalfrezi.

Individual needs are well catered for and the restaurant says there is no artificial colouring in any of its dishes, while it focuses on using the very best of ingredients. Its level of personal service is regularly highlighted by new customers and is something the restaurant says it is extremely proud of.

Raj of India owner Delwar Hussain says the restaurant, which was established over three decades ago, is thrilled with its nomination for a Curry Life Award. “Chef Chowdhury motivates everyone who works with him and is dedicated to every aspect of his job, from hygiene, to cooking to training others. We’re especially pleased with the nomination as our customers have put us forward for the award and we are looking forward to providing many more years of great food and service,” he says.

Raj of India

16 Hall Grove Welwyn Garden City AL7 4PH www.rajofindiawgc.co.uk 01707 373822

CURRY LIFE BEST CHEF AWARD

RAJ OF INDIA WELWYN GARDEN CITY

Raj of India restaurant team

Delwar Hussain

BEST TAKEAWAY AWARD

SUPPORTED BY

Moja: takeaway success

various curry fillings, mixed with pilau rice, then gently wrapped in a freshly made house Naan. Customers also get a choice of sides, some curry sauce to dip the burrito in and a portion of chips.

Moja Indian Takeaway first opened its doors back in 2011 within the heart of Norton village in Stockton-on-Tees. It’s built quite the reputation with the younger generation in the area, and is known for its funky dishes with a twist. It’s also the go-to place in the area for curry fanatics who love a traditional dish.

Owner Mizzy Rahman says its success is down to the standard of dining it has set for diners at home. “We took the five-star dining-style cuisine approach and applied it to a takeaway, offering a superlative Indian cuisine experience in the comfort of your own home.”

Rahman describes the dishes as modern with a twist and they include the Desi Burrito, where ‘Mexico meets Bangladesh’. The burrito is packed with a choice of

“We love our customers and treat them like family,” adds Rahman. “It’s a great feeling to be recognised for a Curry Life Award and to have come this far in the process. We work very hard and have done since 2011 and so it is really nice to be noticed in this way. A special thank you from the bottom of our hearts to every single staff member too who has worked for us in the past and present to help us come this far.”

Rahman has plenty of plans for Moja’s future, including developing recipes in-house and creating some eye-catching dishes. He is also potentially looking at franchising the business.

Moja Indian Takeaway Harland Place, Harland Place, Norton Stockton-on-Tees TS20 1AL www.ordermoja.co.uk/business 01642 363555

Moja team

CURRY LIFE BEST TAKEAWAY AWARD

Royal Balti Barry takeaway’s owner Muhammad Rubel Ahmed acknowledges that in reent times, the business has faced some its toughest moments yet. But this had only made him more determined than ever to provide the top-quality takeaways and service that his restaurant is known for. As Ahmed puts it: “Our customers are our business and they are continually supporting us.”

Having opened in 2003, Ahmed says the takeaway has built up a solid reputation over the years, and even in the face of increasing costs, it is committed to providing quality across every aspect of the business, even if this results in taking less profits.

Popular dishes include the Deshi Lamb Bhuna and Bangladeshi Naga Chicken, a dish consisting of onion, peppers and chilli. “When it comes to chilli we don't just use green chilli or readymade naga pickles,” says Ahmed. “We actually make our own chilli paste using pure Bangladeshi naga and spices, which gives the dish a more unique touch.”

Ahmed says it’s difficult to name what customers like the most, as they opt for many different dishes off the menu and don’t just stick to all-time classics, but many of the takeaway’s bestsellers include Jaipuri Chicken Tikka, South Indian Jal Fry Tikka and Bangladeshi Naga Chicken.

Cuisine: emphasis on quality

He adds that he’s delighted his takeaway has been nominated for an award, as it’s a sign of how far the business has come. “I, and my staff, always strive to ensure we can provide the best service. I feel very proud.”

With his success thus far, Ahmed has no plans to leave the curry industry just yet and says he is always on the lookout for new ideas, trying to improve where necessary to ensure his business maintains its valuable reputation.

Royal Balti Barry 44 Vere Street Cadoxton, Barry South Wales CF63 2HU 01446 421 366

ROYAL BALTI BARRY

Royal Balti team

Little India has been providing takeaways for nearly 20 years and owner Abdul Malik is looking forward to many more years in business, despite the challenging times faced by businesses in recent months. Malik is also keen to keep up with the latest food trends and says that lamb dishes are making a comeback, with a range of lamb curries proving popular with his customers.

Malik says the increased costs associated with energy and ingredients is his biggest challenge at present. With everyone affected, he is trying to keep prices as low as possible so his customers continue to order takeaways on a regular basis. The takeaway’s best-selling dishes include Balti Exotica, a combination of meat, chicken tikka, lamb tikka and king prawn cooked in a medium-spiced,

exotic balti sauce, prepared with fresh herbs & spices and Sylheti Tarkhari, diced chicken or lamb cooked in a thick spicy sauce with spring onions, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamon, coriander, garlic, ginger and Bombay Aloo, with a few green chillies and fenugreek leaves. Customers are also real fans of traditional curries, such as Little India’s version of Chicken Tikka Masala and Malik has noticed that lamb-based dishes are proving popular too.

“We need to work out the right prices and balance this against the cost of ingredients without compromising on quality or service,” he says. “People are trying to save money and not ordering as much or as often as they have done in the past, so we are promoting set meals that are affordable so they can still enjoy a takeaway.”

Malik says it is very difficult to look to the future and is taking each week as it comes, while maintaining top quality food and service.

Little India Takeaway 582 Blackburn Road Bolton BL1 7AL www.littleindiabolton.com 01204 598999

LITTLE INDIA

CURRY LIFE BEST TAKEAWAY AWARD

Fresh, sustainable and seasonal produce are the order of the day at Masala Gate takeaway in Canterbury, Kent. Its menu features an eclectic choice of dishes alongside street food, which aim to push the boundaries of Indian cuisine. The takeaway also offers an outside catering service, and a three-course working lunch option, with a choice of starters, mains and desserts which it says is especially popular during festive periods such as Diwali and Eid.

The business has been going for 24 years, with owner Fokhrul Islam Misba saying maintaining the quality of the food and having a strong brand have been key to the takeaway’s success.

“Everyone knows the brand and the takeaway,” he says. “We prepare dishes with fresh ingredients that are top quality and our customers are real fans of Chicken Tikka Masala and our Jalfrezi curries.”

“Being nominated for an award is a great achievement for us and hopefully it will help increase footfall and bring even more customers to the takeaway,” says Misba. “We do some marketing online, using social media such as Facebook but the majority of our custom all comes from word of mouth.”

Masala Gate: Canterbury institution

MASALA GATE CANTERBURY

There’s also an extensive vegan and vegetarian choice and Misba is constantly looking at ways to reinvent the business or improve existing standards. For example, the takeaway takes special care to label the lids of its takeaway boxes, making the presentation stand out, one area that most takeaways may not put too much effort into.

Customers say it is the best Indian takeaway in Canterbury and highlight the ‘excellent’ food, the flavours and the prompt delivery

Masala Gate 34 North Gate Canterbury CT1 1BL 01227 462906

In the kitchen

SPECIAL AWARD

SUPPORTED BY

InterContinental Dhaka is a five-star hotel located in the most prestigious area of Dhaka - just three kilometres from the downtown business district and near the city’s famous Ramna Park and National Museum. It’s conveniently located close to the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University, Bashundhara City Shopping Center, the famous Dhaka University Campus and surrounding historical places.

The hotel is owned by Bangladesh Services Limited which is a part of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

InterContinental Dhaka is a part of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, headquartered in Denham, UK. Currently the brand has a footprint of 6,024 hotels globally.

At InterContinental Dhaka, there are a total of 226 rooms including 20 suites and five 150 m² Presidential suites. Rooms, which are from 40 m² in size, each reflect an elegant and

contemporary design with the finest bathroom facilities. Beautiful views of the lush green Ramna park add to the experience.

Club InterContinental offers guests a high level of luxury and exclusivity, from the spacious and stylish rooms to the Private Club InterContinental overlooking the hotel atrium; everything revolves around our guests and their individual needs.

IHG® Rewards Club is the world’s first and one of the largest hotel loyalty programs, providing industry-leading benefits including no blackout dates for Reward Night, flight rewards, music downloads and free nights at any IHG hotel anywhere in the world. Our programme is about people, not just points.

The hotel also has more than 21,000 sqft of combined indoor meeting and exhibition space, with nine small and large banquet halls, including two ballrooms and seven meeting rooms. A collection of restaurants offers guests a selection of local and global cuisine, while there is a health club onsite for well-being and personal fitness.

The hotel also operates a 10,000 sqft International Lounge at Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport for departing passengers.

InterContinental Dhaka 1 Minto Road Dhaka 1000 Bangladesh www.intercontinental.com/dhaka

Risul Amin and Kazi Belal Hossain (Sohel) opened Bangladeshi restaurant Muskot Kök & Bar in Sweden’s capital city five years ago. They had met while studying in Sweden and were keen to open a restaurant where they could showcase traditional Bengali food. Sohel is a visionary chef and together with Amin, they gathered together an expert team, including a second chefShanto, Tandoori specialist Novi, Abul and other team members.

Drawing up the menu and trying different dishes took about five months, after which they started trading, opening the 50-seater restaurant in 2017, serving both lunch and dinner. “We believe that good teamwork is key to success - we picked up an award in 2019 and we have been featured in Swedish national newspapers,” says Amin. “It is always exciting to be nominated for an award as it shows how

much customers enjoy our food and it is motivating for the team.”

The menu features vegan options and the restaurant also uses biogas, which produces fewer pollutants during cooking than other types of fuel. Dishes include Soresha Scampi, fresh scampi marinated in lemon, mustard, garlic, ginger and yoghurt and Dhaka Josh, both of which showcase traditional Bengali home cooking. Dhaka Josh is a smooth meat stew served with papaya, cauliflower, broccoli, ginger, and curry sauce and diners can choose between chicken and lamb.

Amin recalls the inspiration behind the dish. “When we were teenagers, we always loved meat, but we didn’t like to eat vegetables. My mother mixed the vegetables into meat so that we ended up eating everything. It is popular in some areas of Bangladesh to use vegetables in the meat during cooking.”

Muskot Kök & Bar

Vanadisplan 2 Stockholm Sweden www.muskotkökbar.se +46 8 33 79 70

CURRY LIFE BEST IN EUROPE AWARD

Visionary

Indian cuisine

MUSKOT KÖK & BAR STOCKHOLM

A new scale-up visa has launched to attract high skilled individuals to work

Since Brexit, the UK does not have easy access to the EU labour market, and the Covid-19 pandemic has made it more difficult for businesses to survive. The ongoing cost of living crisis means employers are struggling even more to cope with labour shortages and keep their businesses running.

According to the Financial Times, the city of London has lost 14% of its restaurants since 2020, with one in seven businesses shutting down. The Guardian also pointed out that many restaurants in the UK were forced to close due to multiple closures and epidemic prevention restrictions during Covid, resulting in massive economic losses. Those restaurants that have ‘survived’ are now confronted with challenges such as rising inflation, post-Brexit labour shortages and consumers' inability to afford dining out.

Running human-centred operations is not easy, the availability of labour is now the number one issue within the UK hospitality sector. Given the limitations in the domestic labour market, organisations have to rely not only on the local labour force but also on migrant workers.

To support UK business, and boost the economy, the UK government has introduced a number of schemes to attract labour from overseas. The Home office makes the Sponsor Licence fee affordable (£536) for small businesses, and has also added some jobs to the

‘shortage occupation list’ under skilled worker visa, such as care workers. Recently a new scaleup visa has launched to attract high skilled individuals to work in scale-up companies to boost the economy. However, the curry industry can't take advantage of it. A separate scheme could be launched by the Home Office to support the industry.

So why are there labour shortage issues? Brexit and the Covid pandemic have been blamed enough - even before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Brexit and the Covid-induced labour shortages were already an issue in the hospitality industry. Economists pointed out that the reasons for labour shortage in the UK are shifting demographics, such as ageing and retired employees, requests for greater compensation and flexible working conditions, as well as border restrictions and immigration limits. So, to summarise, the domestic labour market in the UK has limitations.

If we do not tackle pressing labour issues, the phenomenon of labour shortage may further intensify in the future.

WorkPermitCloud believes that if policymakers can address these concerns, the industry will be benefited. The economy will grow. Let’s all hope that the UK in the post-pandemic era can overcome the difficulty of staff shortages as soon as possible.

Md Lutfur Rahman FCILEx Managing Director

ity Bank, first established in 1983, is a first generation private commercial bank based in Bangladesh. The bank has set a standard in the industry by transforming over time from a traditional organisation, which used to follow a conventional banking model, to an acclaimed multi-faceted financial institution.

For more than four decades, City Bank has fulfilled the role of a trusted

Cbanking partner for many generations of customers through its robust retail and corporate banking channels. Over the years, the bank’s legacy has been distinguished by its commitment to innovation and modernisation, a dimension that has always remained at the forefront of its corporate vision. At the same time, City Bank has also embraced international best practice to implement new technological initiatives, enabling it to expand and offer access to finance to the unbanked population of the country. Unlike many other banks in

E H HOQUE TIPU DIRECTOR AND OWNER

Unisoft is a leading point-of-sale software development company providing customised computer technology solutions to the catering trade. We are delighted to support the Curry Life Awards once again. Our aim is to provide expert and professional information technology solutions to improve and enhance the services and efficiency of businesses in the catering sector.

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a huge surge in online ordering and online payments,which, postpandemic, continues to grow. We have helped many of our customers manage their website design and online ordering systems, tailored to their requirements and offer ongoing technical support and customer service. Our systems can be applied to single or multiple branch/outlet locations – with the business owner always having control from the administration base. Having an online presence - whether you run a restaurant or takeaway can help to streamline your business, saving time, while from the customer point of view, the ordering process is more efficient and seamless.

The current economic climate is forcing businesses to make some tough decisions and presenting many with challenges that may seem insurmountable. Our systems can help to ease some of this burden as our customers do not have to buy any additional hardware and with our free set-up provision, there are no additional costs.

Our system is designed for small and medium sized businesses and we have more than one thousand restaurant and takeaway customers, based locally, nationally and internationally.The cost of living crisis leaves no one untouched. The future may be uncertain but at Unisoft,we are committed to making the ordering system, such as online sales, more efficient and facilitating other essential business tools that are vital for today’s hospitality industry.We congratulate each and every finalist at this year’s Curry Life Awards.

Bangladesh, City Bank’s criteria for success are not defined by the narrow mission of profitability, but by the broader philosophy of being able and ready to meet the lifestyle needs of customers across demographics and geographical regions.

International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of World Bank Group, holds a 5% share of the bank, and the bank is also the sole franchise of American Express in Bangladesh.

For more information, please visit: www.thecitybank.com

SAMI SANAULLAH

Travel Link Worldwide is a London-based travel agency, providing travel services aimed at both the Bangladeshi and wider communities. We offer a broad range of travel products and services, including flights (wholesale/retail air tickets), car hire, hotel bookings and accommodation, bespoke package holidays, business travel, leisure travel and eco-tourism.

Having been established nearly 30 years ago, in 1993, we are well-regarded within the travel industry and our staff have a wealth of knowledge to support a vast range of travel requests. The last two years have been a challenging and transformative time for the industry. As countries continue to lift Covid-19 restrictions and land borders reopen, the world has changed considerably, and we look forward to being able to travel again and are committed to offering the best travel guidance and support.

Travel Link Worldwide has been supporting Curry Life and its associated products since the magazine’s inception and we are delighted to support them once again in 2022. The curry sector is very close to the British Bangladeshi community and our support underlines the strong relationship between the two. In recent months, profound events have touched and impacted people all over the world, not least the recent passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As one era ends, another one begins and at a time when people are able to enjoy travelling again - whether for business or for pleasure, the overriding message is one of optimism.

At Travel Link, we continue to be thankful for the generous support we receive and we look forward to serving the community and working with Curry Life in the foreseeable future.

We can be reached on 020 7375 1661, 079 7341 3774 sami@travellink.co.uk