A trio of Indian street food restaurants in the region reacted with delight at being named winners at a new awards event, with one owner dedicating his success to his late father in a moving tribute.
Shah Lalon Amin, group director of popular street food Delhi 6 in South Shields, was named Curry King at the inaugural Nation's Curry Awards in Manchester on Monday night, which he attended with his brothers, and said he is blown away at the news. He beat competition from across the industry to win the title 'in recognition of his dedication and unwavering passion for the industry and the remarkable growth of his company'.
Shah, who also runs Babaji Sunderland, said: "I was genuinely shocked to hear my name being read out but of course I am humbled to receive such an honour. It is the biggest award I've received in my business career." He added: "To be awarded The Curry King is simply beyond my dreams.
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"I thank my family for motivating me, for helping me become the entrepreneur I am today." Having worked in the restaurant trade since childhood, he is passionate about his work and has focused upon customer satisfaction and ensuring continued and consistent excellence since Delhi 6 opened four and a half years ago. Delhi 6 Lounge then launched at Westoe last year followed by Babaji Sunderland last month.
Shah thanked his team and customers and also shared news of his win on Facebook, saying: "I was crowned The Curry King! Wow!" and that he was "blown away". He said: "It's time to host some Delhi 6 style parties!" and added: "I dedicate this award to my late father, he was our Curry King; he inspired us to become the restaurant owners we are today. He taught us to always be grateful and humble, and to treat our customers and team well. I know he would have been the proudest dad today."
Among the comments that followed his post were "Well done Shah and your team. Well deserved" and "Very well done. In the competitive amount of Indian restaurants the quality has to be high and you have to be just that bit different, to that end Delhi 6 ticks all the boxes. Consistently great, the award speaks for itself."
Another added: "What an achievement" and "not only are you such a lovely person I see a humble hardworking young man like your beloved Dad, what a true gentleman, well done, be proud."
My Delhi in Newcastle and SherKhan of Alnwick, in Northumberland, were the other big local winners on the night. All three restaurants are regular award winners and the latest successes have underscored the region's reputation for quality Indian cuisine.
My Delhi was named Street Food Restaurant of the Year, beating seven rivals from across the UK and its Facebook post said: "We did it!" and "we are thrilled to bring this award home to the North East." An equally proud Sherkhan of Alnwick took the title of Curry Restaurant of the Year for the North, and said "Let the celebrations begin!"
Just in November ,My Delhi, which opened in the city's Clayton Street in 2019 and also has a branch in Sunderland, won a similar title of Best Street Food Restaurant in the UK at the Asian Curry Awards for the second year running. Its Sunderland venue won the Best Newcomer Award at the same event.
The latest accolade at the debut Nation's Curry Awards, which is out to celebrate creators of both traditional dishes and innovative fusion cuisine, was " a great start to 2023" it said. My Delhi, which came to national attention when it won BBC competition Britain's Top Takeaways, prides itself upon its authentic Delhi street food.
Director Elahi Amin said: "We are incredibly proud to have been named the nation's best street food restaurant of the year. Our team has worked hard to bring the authentic street food of Delhi to our customers in the North East and this award is a testament to their dedication and hard work."
He added: "Our native chefs from Delhi have brought their expertise and knowledge to our restaurant, ensuring that every dish we serve is authentic and bursting with flavour. We are honoured to receive this award."
The restaurant is planning to launch a new takeaway offering soon. Facebook comments from customers following the news included "Congratulations! Superb food, service, staff and restaurant"; "Well done" and "Well deserved".
Mohammed Quiyum, from SherKhan Of Alnwick, which serves a mixture of traditional and contemporary Indian food along with cocktails, said he is "proud" to win the Curry Restaurant of the Year for North title, adding: "We were up against some fantastic restaurants from five different regions from throughout the UK."
Thanking the hard-working staff and all the customers - saying "we couldn’t have done it with you all" - he added: "We have won five major awards now and we are over the moon!"
The restaurant is delighted to bring the latest award back to Alnwick and among the messages of congratulations it received on Facebook were "Absolutely fantastic news. Well done to all the team, well-deserved" and "Fab blooming marvellous. Sooo deserved".
Other comments included "thank you for excellent customer service and the best food; you are simply the best and well deserved" and "You've done such a lot for Alnwick and its people in some tough times, so any reward is totally earned!"
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