The Magnificent Seven: They Came, They Cooked, They Conquered!

 

 

They may sound as if they’ve stepped out of a Spaghetti Western but the ‘Magnificent Seven’ who took Slovenia by storm at the recent Taste of Britain festival were no gun slinging cowboys – they were an elite posse of chefs – and they were armed with curry powder.

Mohammed Azad from Cafe Saffron in Shrewsbury, Shah Ansar Ali from Bengal Paradise, Suhel Ahmed from Aroma Spice in Hampstead, Syeduz Zaman Kamran from India Lounge in Wigan, Juber Ahmed from Fetcham Tandoori in Surrey, Allam Shah Ullah from Cutlers Spice in Sheffield, and Kaysar Ahmed from Zeera Restaurant in Potters Bar, were selected from hundreds of chefs to showcase the best of British Indian cuisine in Europe.

They were then jetted over to sub zero temperatures in Slovenia, accompanied by some of the restaurant owners.

And, despite having to contend with some of the heaviest snowfalls Slovenia’s capital city of Ljubljana had seen for years, diners not only thronged to the festival to sample the chefs’ curry dishes ... they kept coming back for more.

But there was not only food on offer; visitors were also able to experience a unique programme of events ranging from spectacular banquets to traditional Bangladeshi dancing and cookery demonstrations which took place throughout the week.

The Taste of Britain Curry Festival was organised by Curry Life, the British Embassy Ljubljana UK Trade and Investment and Hotel Park with the aim of promoting the curry industry, chefs and restaurants in Slovenia and Central Europe.

The launch took place on 21 February with a two-day trade exhibition at the prestigious Cankarjev Dom. Industry icons such as Eurofoods, Kingfisher Beer Europe, East End Foods Plc and The Authentic Food Company were able to showcase their wares and meet key wholesalers, restaurateurs and distributors. Delegates attending from ten European countries including Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia, had a unique opportunity to forge links and explore possibilities for future trade and development.

The day of networking was followed by an exclusive Evening Reception hosted by HE the British Ambassador in Slovenia, Andrew Page, when invited guests could mingle in a more relaxed atmosphere before sampling a wonderful banquet of more than 50 fusion dishes prepared by the seven master chefs.

Speaking at the Press Launch led by Festival Organisers Syed Belal Ahmed and Syed Nahas Pasha, the British Ambassador HE Andrew Page and Urša Malovrh, Manager of Hotel Park, Mr Ahmed recognised that the festival had been only possible with the support of the Ambassador and his team and the owners and staff of Hotel Park.

He said he had fallen in love with Ljubljana after the festival in 2012 when the team was given such a warm welcome: “Last year’s event had such an impressive response from the city and beyond I think people realised what they were missing out on,” he said. “There is huge potential for ethnic food in Slovenia and I hope this event will initiate more curry houses over here.”

HE Andrew Page also remarked how the success of last year’s festival inspired him and his team to work with Central European network countries to bring buyers from further afield. “There is a lot of potential for British companies to get a foothold in these untapped markets,” he said. He reminded the audience that 60 years ago when the recipe for Coronation Chicken was created to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, curry was almost unknown. “Now, two thirds of people in Britain who go out for a meal go for a curry,” he said.

Urša Malovrh manager of Hotel Park commented on how pleased Hotel Park was to host the Taste of Britain Curry Festival once more: “We were amazed at how popular and successful the festival was last year – people came from all over the country and even from other countries, to try a taste of curry,” she said.

Currying Favour at Hotel Park

 

The festival relocated to Hotel Park until 27 February where diners were able to sample a buffets and a la carte dinners cooked by the Magnificent Seven. Dishes included signature dishes of Naga Chicken Balti, Spicy beef cutlet, Dal Gosht and Allo Chop, not forgetting the British favourites of Chicken Tikka Masala and Balti. Many VIP guests attended such as the Indian Ambassador in Ljubljana and his family who commented on the variety and quality of cuisine on offer.

The chefs also took part in various cookery demonstrations including one for teachers and pupils of the British school. Having created something of a media sensation, they were feted by local and national press and TV.

But it wasn’t all hard work – the intrepid seven also had a chance to grab a quick sightseeing tour of Zagreb in Croatia and Venice in Italy as well as taking in some of the local attractions in the beautiful capital city itself and, of course, shopping.

At the end of the festival it was apparent that Slovenians had taken the chefs to their hearts. But did they think Indian food was something that could become more popular in the country?

“Yes, I like spicy food and this curry is special,” said Marko, a visitor from Ljubljana. “At the moment there are only two Indian restaurants in Ljubljana and I would really like to see more opening up. We like to try different foods and it would be good if we could try a selection of everything.”

“We’ve tried green or red Thai curries before but we have never experienced food this hot – but it’s really good!,”added his companion.

“I have eaten curry before in the UK and I loved it,” commented Bojan who had stopped off at the hotel on his way to Maribor, “So to find it here in Ljubljana was a big surprise. For me, anything that may help bring curry to Slovenia should be encouraged and embraced.”

Jana Verk, Head of UK Trade and Investment at the British Embassy who played a key role in organising the events said she was absolutely delighted as to how the festival had gone: “All the hard work has paid off. The chefs have performed magnificently and it has been a pleasure to work with such a friendly and enthusiastic team,” she said. “I hope that events such as this will help to bring more ethnic food to Slovenia.”

“It was great to showcase our cuisine to such appreciative customers,” said Allam Shah Ullah, chef of Sheffield’s Cutlers Spice. “We’ve received a fantastic reception and we’re all extremely proud to  have been selected to represent Bangladeshi and Indian food in Europe. Who knows? Maybe soon curry will be as popular in Slovenia as it is in the UK.”