Asian Curry Awards 2018 Winners
Around 1,000 VIP guests attended a glittering gala dinner at the Grosvenor House in London on Sunday 18th November, to honour the winners of the 8th Asian Curry Awards, organised by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF).
These are the nation’s only accolades dedicated to the entire spectrum of pan-Asian cuisines, rewarding the best curry restaurants and takeaways. Winning an Asian Curry Award is widely regarded in the community as the ultimate achievement for a restaurateur or chef.
The awards were co-hosted by BBC TV presenter Babita Sharma and Tommy Sandhu from the BBC Radio Asian Network.
Rajesh Suri’s Michelin-ranked Grand Trunk Road in East London was named Restaurant of the Year. Inspired by the Irani coffee houses of old Bombay, Dishoom in Shoreditch scooped the Casual Dinningaward. Spice Village, part of the Grand Sapphire Group was named Best Asian Restaurant Chain. Zaman International in London’s Sportsman’s Casino received the International Restaurant Award.
The Just East award for Best Takeaway went to Mushtaq’s in Hamilton.
Thai Moom in Orpington won Best Thai; Jin Li in London; Best Chinese; Hakkaland in Harrow Pan Asian Restaurant of the Year; Chad Rahman of Chez Mumtaz was revealed as Chef of the Year; Shabir Hussain of Akbor’s restaurants Curry King of the Year; the Vegetarian Food Studio in Cardiff won the Healthy Eating award.
There were also a number of regional awards for local restaurants. See the full list of winners here
In his keynote speech ACF chairman, Yawar Khan, urged restaurant owners to recognise and welcome customers’ changing dining habits, and to embrace the advantages of modern technology or “risk becoming another statistic”.
He also mentioned a number of new ACF initiatives for apprenticeship schemes and a training opportunities, with local schools and colleges, which will be announced in the new year.
Graham Corfield, UK Managing Director of Just Eat, sponsors of the Asian Curry Awards commented: “The curry industry is a multi-billion-pound sector thanks to the sheer hard work and dedication of every entrepreneur, restaurant owner, chef, waiter and delivery driver. I’d like to congratulate all the winners and nominees.”
The next ACF events are at the Palace of Westminster in February to launch of the 9th Asian Curry Awards. The ACF will also be hosting their Asian Restaurant Awards in Manchester in March.
Editors’ Notes:
The Asian Curry Awards shortlist was determined by over 100,000 votes from spice-loving members of the public. A team of judges, led by Pat Chapman, editor of the Cobra Good Curry Guide, toured the country to determine the winners. Chapman was pleased to witness ever higher standards in the UK’s Asian restaurants, with a trend towards healthy, authentic regional dishes with modern gastro influences.
The Asian Curry Awards are design to recognise the best in the industry, encouraging ever higher standards and to inspire the next generation of chefs and restaurateurs to join this dynamic sector. The Awards are organised by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF) and the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers UK, representing 35,000 UK restaurants and takeaways.
The ACF strives to deliver real returns for its members within the Asian catering industry, helping them to find financial success, achieve excellence, and build customer loyalty. It aims to unite Asian caterers on one platform; campaign for greater recognition; achieve members’ common goals through partnerships with government and other organisations; provide help with training, and create rewarding careers in Asian catering.
The “voice of the curry industry” it is a nationwide non-profit making and non-political organisation, which lobbies on MPs, Government and Whitehall, promoting and protecting the interests of the curry industry in Britain.
Media Contact: George Shaw, Avocado Media
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Asian Catering Federation 100 Pall Mall, St James’s, London SW1Y 5NQ
E: info@acfederation.org W: www.acfederation.org T: 020 8395 6830 Tw: @AsianCatFed @AsianCurryAward
