Specialists in Tandoori and Delhi street food in Newcastle have found themselves in the running for a Restaurant of the Year title at an awards ceremony which is out to showcase the UK's best South Asian cuisine.
City centre awards regular My Delhi, which also has a branch in Sunderland, and t he long-running Ahad Tandoori Restaurant in Gosforth are both nominated for top spot in the North East category at the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards which will take place at in London on October 2.
They are among more than 2,000 venues nominated by restaurant-goers and food lovers who are customers of ChefOnline. This digital food-ordering and table-booking service is a partner of ARTA and the finalists, drawn from a survey of customers who have been voting since March, now face the decision of a panel of judges who will decide the winners of the regional and national categories. These will be announced at the red carpet ceremony which will be held at the InterContinental Hotel at The O2.
Read more: North East celebrates success in English Curry Awards
The hosts will be BBC journalist and broadcaster Samantha Simmonds and world-renowned magician Paul Martin and among the event's other award categories will be National and Regional Chefs of the Year; Takeaways and Newcomer of the Year Award plus a coveted National Champion of the Champions, who will be crowned after live cook-off rounds. Mohammed Munim, founder member and chief executive office of ARTA, said: “Britain has some of the most vibrant and dynamic Asian restaurants and they are an integral part of the fabric and culture of the country.
"The ARTA awards are a celebration and recognition of these exceptional restaurants, takeaways, chefs, and restaurateurs all across the country who are serving their local communities so exceptionally well." He added: "Each nominee is a worthy winner and we look forward to celebrating with them all at the award ceremony on October 2.”
The UK’s curry industry is valued at around £5bn, with more Indian restaurants said to be in Greater London alone than in Delhi and Mumbai combined. The ARTA awards seek to celebrate Asian restaurants and takeaways at a time they face a downturn due to a shortage of skilled hospitality workers, high cost of energy, inflation and the ongoing impact from the pandemic.
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