Curry Life Honours the Great British Curry Chefs

It was a fantastic occasion - High Commissioners, government ministers, cross-party MPs and VIP guests all joined to congratulate some of the UK’s finest curry chefs at the Curry Life Gala Dinner and Chef Awards Ceremony at the Cumberland Hotel, Central London.

From Kolkata and Bangladesh to Bradford and Birmingham the 20 award winners were – part of the community of chefs that have transformed the eating habits and cities, towns and villages of Britain.

The dinner was attended by the Rt Hon Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Conservative MP for Brentwood and Ongar, Mr Pickles very gamely handed out awards for most of the evening ably assisted by the Rt Hon Frank Dobson Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Tracey Crouch, Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford and MEP, Mary Honeyball.

Mr Pickles who is an Indian food aficionado to the extent that Ladbrokes once took odds on the likelihood of his indulging in a curry on a recent trip to Bradford, said that curry had now become “ a part of the refinement of British life, as British as watching football or EastEnders.”

He told the chefs:  “The best thing we can do is keep shouting about the success and reward hard work. Keep cooking, keep creating and we can look forward to the British Curry Industry going from strength to strength”

Frank Dobson reminded guests that it was 40 years since the end of the Bangladeshi War of Independence and spoke of the lives that had been lost in the struggle – “I am sure they would have been proud of the amazing impact they have had on this country,” he said. “At the heart of any culture is food and yours has transformed and improved the culture of Britain.

The presenter at the Awards was Syed Ahmed, known for his appearance in the BBC reality show The Apprentice. There was also spectacular entertainment and a mesmerising performance from mime artist Partha Pratim Majumder who worked with Marcel Marceau and recently received the highest cultural honour from France.

Special Recognition Awards were also given to international curry chef, Utpal Mondal from Hotel Hindusthan International in Kolkata and the Late Nazir Ud Din Ahmed who opened Manchester’s first curry house in 1938.

Organisers of the festival and editor of Curry Life Magazine, Syed Belal Ahmed said: “The Awards were a runaway success. These awards highlight the special achievement of a select band of chefs who have made their culinary mark on the Indian restaurant scene in the UK.

“The British curry has its own identity and we are now influencing curry restaurants globally including India where curry received its origins.”

A full list of the Regional award winners is below:

Curry Life Chef Awards
Chef Shahidur Rahman - Raj Spice, Rowley Regis
Chef Partha Mittra, Snooty Mehmaan, Faringdon
Chef Motiur Rahman, Curry Nights Indian Cuisine, 58, Chamberlayne Rd, London
Chef Abul Monsur, Taj Cuisine, Walderslade
Chef Abdul Kahar, Shikha Indian, Buckhurst Hill, Essex
Chef Monir Uddin, Jaypur Balti Cuisine, Banbury
Chef Ali Hussain, Cafe Bangla, East Boldon
Chef Ali Nazrul, Bollywood Lounge, Wakefield
Chef Syed Zohorul Islam, The Capital, Durham
Chef Ahad Miah, Spice Fusion, Dunhampton
Chef Noor Ahmed Layes, Khana Peena, South Croydon
Chef Kayrul Haque Kamali, Barinda Restaurant, Hull
Chef Abdur Rob, Fleet Tandoori, Hampstead
Special Award
Chef Utpal Mondal, Hotel Hindustan International, Kolkata