Dazzling Curry Life Chef Awards 2014

As we suspected, the Curry Life Chef Awards 2014 was a dazzling occasion!

On Sunday, 19^th October 2014, the ballroom of LancasterLondon Hotel was buzzing with excitement as a colourful melee of glamorous guests, immaculate chefs, managers and restaurateurs gathered for Curry Life’s most impressive awards ceremony to date. The evening was also attended by international chefs, MPs by the dozen, dignitaries and inspirational figures from the curry industry, with over 700 guests in total. Madhu's caterers provided a banquet fit for gourmets.

The presenter was Cathy Newman,

influential journalist and broadcaster and a familiar figure on Channel 4 news. But of course, the heroes of the night were the chefs themselves – this year over 40 were recognised for their fantastic contribution to the Indian restaurant scene. Each was invited onto the stage to receive their awards accompanied by families and friends, while the audience had the chance to see them at work in their respective restaurants on the large screen video presentation.

As well as the Curry Life Chef Awards there were the special honours for exceptional work in the curry industry, including a Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Mohammed Tayyab of Tayyabs restaurant in Fieldgate Street. Mr Tayyab who came to the UK from Pakistan in 1964 to work in the garment industry, became renowned for his delicious Punjabi curries. Tayyabs is now celebrated across the whole of London and recently beat the French chef Raymond Blanc to the position of number 8 in the Zagat restaurant guide.

Special awards also went out to chef Utpal Mondal, Corporate Chef of HHI Group of Hotels and international chef Lars Windfuhr, Executive Chef of Park Hyatt, Hyderabad. The European Chef of the Year Award was received by chef Karim Razaul of Indian Garden in Stockholm.

Speeches from VIP guests included quotes from Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi.

Chief Guest, Minister for Employment, the Rt Hon Esther McVey said the Awards combined some of her greatest passions of business and enterprise, family life, “authenticity and staying true to your roots”. “But one of my greatest passions is food, and in particular curry,” she continued, getting a loud cheer when she told of how she had spent the summer perfecting her cooking of Rogan Josh. The Minister went on to praise the SMEs which provided employment for millions in Britain, largely through the “grit and determination” of people like the guests in the room. She assured chefs and restaurant owners of the government’s continuing support through measures such as apprenticeships.

Samsun Sohail of Cobra Beer invoked a famous quote from Winston Churchill: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Mr Sohail said: “This is true of this industry – each and everybody here is an example of what he says – we have immigration problems, VAT, not getting work permits, but our industry has accepted this and has said ‘we will shine more, we will accomplish more, we will succeed’.” This meant greater revenue and more business for the country as a whole.

The CEO of Cobra Beer, Lord Karan Bilimoria speaking from Hyderabad thanked Curry Life magazine for what it was doing, not just in the magazine, but also in the chef awards and workshops, in Britain and abroad in India and Eastern Europe. “This continuing innovation is how businesses go from strength to strength,” he said.

He quoted his favourite saying of Mahatma Gandhi: “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”

“Looking back we have gone through a tough time in the restaurant industry but we have not only survived, we have succeeded because the industry has the confidence to believe in itself,” he continued.

Mohammad Azad of Cafe Saffron, Shrewsbury receives an award

Rushnara Ali, MP for Bethnall Green and Bow, was proud to see her constituent, win the Lifetime Achievement Award, encapsulating the story of her own father’s generation who came to the UK in the fifties, and worked in the catering industry. “People like Mr Tayyab, along with my father, helped to build a curry empire worth £4billion which has enabled people like me to become MPs,” she said.

The Right Honourable Keith Vaz, MP, was aggrieved to find no-one from Leicester amongst the winners but congratulated Curry Life on a very successful event. “You have more MPs here this evening than we have in the House of Commons for some debates,” he joked, adding it was because all MPs know how important the British-Bangladeshi community is in the UK.

Frank Dobson MP brought a message of support from leader of the Labour party Ed Miliband who was unable to attend. Mr Miliband said the curry industry in Britain had continued to prosper even in difficult times and curry had become a part of British life. “Tonight is the opportunity to recognise the contribution chefs and restaurants have made to the British economy and culture and that is something to be proud of.”

But Festival Organiser, Syed Nahas Pasha got the biggest cheer of the evening when he spoke out for the curry industry: “We hear nothing but cuts from this government, but when are they going to cut VAT for the restaurant industry?” he said to loud applause.

Festival Organisers Syed Belal Ahmed and Syed Nahas Pasha

  
                                                                       

Syed Jaglul Pasha, Syed Nahas Pasha (editor), Cllr Jehangir Haque

Zoe Renfrew with Chef Utpal Mondal, Corporate chef HHI

Congratulations to all award winners! 

(Further details and many more photos of the evening will be in the next edition of Curry Life magazine):

Chef Alexander Crum Ewing

Owner: Dr Kowsar Haque

The Indian Dining Club, 244 Gipsy Road, London  SE27 9RB

Chef Mushfiqur Rahman

Delhi 6 Restaurant

12a Burnett Road, Little Aston, Sutton Coldfield  B74 3EJ

Chef Sharif Ahmed

Manager: Kowsar Choudhury

Radhuni Restaurant, 88-2 Ocean Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear  NE33 2JD

Chef Habibur Rahman

Manager: Topon Alam

Ballingdon Valley Indian Cuisine, 57 Ballingdon Street, Sudbury, Suffolk  CO10 2DA

Chef Misbah Al Islam

Manager: Jakir islam

Yuva, High Street, Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex  CBII 3LE

Chef Syeduz Zaman Kamran

Manager: Syed Ali

Ozmi Indian Restaurant, 43-49 Winwick Road, Warrington  WA2 7DH

Chef Jamal Uddin Ahmed

Manager: Jalal Uddin Ahmed

Shozna Restaurnt, 153 Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent  ME1 1RR

Chef Abdul Alim

Owner: Abdul Mujib

Village Modern Indian Cooking, 16 Warley Hill, Brentwood, Essex  CM14 5HA

Chef Tohur Ali

Manager: Azad Miah

The Shah Jahan Indian Restaurant, 111-113 South Western Road, Salisbury  SP2 7RR

Chef Amruj Ali

Manager: Anwar Ali

Massala Lounge, 57-59 Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, Huddersfield   HD9 3JH

Chef Atikur Rahman

Manager: Badal Miah

Paprika Indian Restaurant, 27 Nightingale Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire   SG5 1QU

Chef Liton Ahmed

Owner: Shahedur Rahman

Blue India, 59 High Street, Crawley, West Sussex  RH10 1BQ

Chef Mohammed Miah

Manager: Karim Miah

Spice Club, 10 Eastover, Bridgwater, Somerset  TA6 5AB

Chef Jammal Uddin

Westwood East Bangladeshi Cuisine

Westwood House, Eleanor Street, Oldham  OL1 2NN

Chef Khalis Rahman

Banana Leaf Indian Cuisine

47 Bethel Road, Seven Oaks, Kent  TN13 3UE

Chef Suruk Miah

Master Chef Luton Limited

76a Hart Lane, Luton  LU2 0JG

Chef Muhamed Deen Jitu

Manager: Mikayeel Deen

Champagne Signature Restaurant, 10 Pomona Place, Hereford   HR4 0EF

Chef Nasihur Rahman

Owner:  Kamal Hussain

Shajahan Indian Restaurant, 62 High Street, Kingsthorpe, Northampton  NN2 6QE

Chef Abdus Sahid

Village Indiya, 29 Lodge Lane, Grays, Essex  RM17 5RY

Chef Boshiur Rahman

Manager: Kawsar Rahman

Monsoon Indian Cuisine, Northport, Wareham, Dorset   BH20 4AT

Chef Mohammed Mohi Uddin

Owner:  Mohammed Mizanur Rahman

Adnan’s Indian Restaurant, 137-139 Market Street Hyde, Cheshire  SK14 1HG

Chef Mohammad Azad

Manager:  Abdul Husen

Café Saffron, 25 Hill’s Lane, Shrewsbury  SY1 1QU

Chef Azizur Rahman

Owner: Moksud Miah

Delhi Divan, 18 Lower Gungate, Tamworth, Staffordshire   B79 7AL

Chef Abdul Malik

Manager: Dilwar Hussain

Raj of India, 16 Hall Grove, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire   AL7 4PH

Chef Shohid Ahmed

Manager: Azad Miah

Shikara Indian Cuisine, 181 Whitley Road, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear  NE26 2DN

Chef Mohammed Anwar Hussain

Owner:  Abdul Malik

The Jaipur Spice, Busby Stoop Inn, Thirsk, North Yorkshire   Y07 4EQ

Chef Mohammed Ruhul Alm

Owner: Miah Monirul Alam

Kashmir Tandoori Restaurant, 20 Palace Street, Canterbury, Kent  CT1 2DZ

Chef Sundor Ali

Owner: Amir Hussain and Habibur Rahman

Rupali Restaurant, 335-337 Tile Hill Lane, Tile Hill, Coventry  CV4 9DU

Chef Shamin Ahmed

Owner:  Shamsu Miah

Gulshan Tandoori, 3 High Street, The Precinct, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire  EN10 7HY

Chef Juber Ahmed

Manager:  Anis Haque

Fetcham Tandoori, 248 Cobham Road, Fetcham, Surrey   KT22 9JF

Chef Misba Uddin Ahmed

Vujon Indian Restaurant

Unit 3B, Astle Park, High Street, West Bromwich  B70 8EN

Chef Abdul Hay

Manager: Haron Ahmed

iNaga Restaurant, 84 Croydon Road, Coney Hall,West Wickham  BR4 9HY

Curry Life would like to thank all sponsors of the event: Jaguar, Cobra Beer, Lebara, annecto uk, curries online, Pasco, M, travel life, Currylife Figovec, Goldstar Chefs, Chivas, Belu Cobra Foundation.

Also thanks to all our supporters: Samson Sohail, Nobab Uddin, Amin Ali of Red Fort, Pegasus Textiles, Amirul Chowdhury, Musleh Uddin Ahmed, Biren Parikh, Preet Singh, Golam Faruque, Allam S. Ullah, Abul Monsur Jewel, Muhibur Rahman, Amjad Sahel, Mohammed Azad Hussain, Molay Chandan Shaha