The UK’s favourite cuisine was again be honoured at the eighth annual British Curry Awards on 26th November 2012, at a gala event at Battersea Evolution, London hosted by BBC presenter Jenny Bond and celebrity impersonator Rory Bremner.
The UK curry industry boasts no fewer than 10,000 restaurants and 80,000 employees, and the awards have become a highlight on the UK culinary calendar, showcasing the vast range and allure of the £3.6bn a year curry industry, an integral part of the nation’s social and culinary fabric.
The British Curry Awards has been lauded as a pivotal UK institution – with Prime Minister David Cameron calling the awards ‘the curry Oscars’, and going on to say:
“It’s often said that curry is Britain’s national dish and it’s easy to see why. It’s not just the flavour served up in the thousands of the curry restaurants across the country, it is the welcome too. Those who work in the curry industry enliven Britain’s high streets, boost local economies and contribute to local communities.”
“The British Curry Awards is an uplifting and inspiring evening.”
Record nominations
The nomination process for the awards encourages people to put forward their favourite Indian eatery for a well-deserved accolade, and the awards are estimated to draw a record number of nominations. Judging Criteria included menu choice, wine list, exterior and interior decor and plate presentation. In total there were over 270,000 public nominations from diners across the UK.
Preferred choice of take-away
It is stated that an Indian meal is now the preferred choice of take-away amongst the British population, and has overtaken previous favourites such as Chinese and Italian take-away food.
To reflect this, a new award category of “Best Delivery Restaurant / Takeaway” has been added this year, in association with Just Eat, the online takeaway ordering service. This is open to restaurants that are take-aways, as well as restaurants that offer a home delivery service, and will be judged on a nation-wide basis.
Special Recognition Award
Each year the British Curry Awards also gives the ‘Special Recognition Award’ to an influential culinary personality, and past winners of this award include Madhur Jaffrey, Cyrus Todiwala OBE, Anjum Anand, Heston Blumenthal OBE and Shelim Hussain MBE.
Embedded in the psyche of the British
The British Curry Awards was established by British entrepreneur Enam Ali MBE who the founded the event in 2005, and says:
“Curry may be born in India, but British Bangladeshis globalised it. The humble curry has come a very long way since it first came to these shores. Indian cuisine has now become the favourite food of the nation, and is enjoyed by millions of people across the UK, from students to professionals and pensioners. Most people will have a favourite curry that they will order when they go to a restaurant, meaning that Asian cuisine is deeply embedded in the psyche of the British people.
“The curry dish that Britain has given to the world – Chicken Tikka Masala – again features on the British Curry Awards menu in recognition of the important part it has played in helping to establish the UK curry industry’s reputation internationally.”
The 2012 Winners
Best Delivery Restaurant/Take-away by Justeat.com – MUSHTAQS (Hamilton, Lanarkshire)
Best Restaurant Scotland – TAJ INDIAN (Prestwick)
Best Restaurant North East – AAGRAH (Leeds)
Best Spice Restaurant North West – INDIAN OCEAN (Ashton-u-Lyne)
Best Spice Restaurant Midlands – ITIHAAS (Birmingham)
Best Newcomer Restaurant Midlands – FIVE RIVERS A LA CARTE (Walsall)
Best Restaurant Wales – RASOI INDIAN KITCHEN (Swansea)
Best Restaurant South East – HAWELI INDIAN RESTAURANT (Twyford, Berkshire)
Best Newcomer Restaurant South East – SHAMPAN 4 – THE SPINNING WHEEL (Westerham, Kent)
Best Restaurant South West – SPICE LODGE (Cheltenham)
Best Restaurant South West – THE MINT ROOM (Yeovil, Somerset)
Best Restaurant Central London & City – BOMBAY PALACE (Paddington)
Best Newcomer Restaurant Central London & City – CHAKRA (Notting Hill)
Best Restaurant London Suburbs – CHAK 89 (Surrey)
Best in Casual Dining – THE CHILLI PICKLE (Brighton, East Sussex)
Special Inspiration Award – Dipna Anand of Brilliant Restaurant – Female Chef