27th November 2012 British Awards 2012 winners announced

British Curry Awards 2012 winners announced, 10.0 out of 10 based on 2 ratings

The UK’s “Curry Oscars” have crowned this year’s curry kings and queens as the British Curry Awards celebrated the best of talent in a glittering ceremony at the Battersea Evolution last evening. The prestigious event, that awards top honours to all those who have made the curry industry proud, was co-hosted by BBC presenter Jenny Bond and celebrity impersonator Rory Bremner.

The winners were judged on several aspects including menu choice, wine list, exterior and interior decor and plate presentation. With over 270,000 nominations from diners around the country, the 2012 British Curry Awards was hotly anticipated and culminated in a glamorous finale to the countdown of the year!

Dipna Anand from The Brilliant Restaurant in Southall was given a special award for recognition by The Prime Minister who announced:

“Each year we honour someone very special and in this gold envelope I have the name of that person. It gives me great pleasure to announce the special inspirational woman award goes to Dipna Anand. The British curry industry is part of British culinary life and great to see you recognized for that tonight so congratulations on this fantastic achievement”

Dipna is overwhelmed with her achievement and believes its awards and achievements such as these that motivate her to strive for more, aim higher and work harder to make the industry proud. Dipna said:

“Being honoured by The Prime Minister himself is a truly a privilege and an achievement I will cherish forever, this is most definitely my biggest achievement yet and the start to many new things. I am thankful to my parents who have always encouraged me to go that extra mile and supported me in every decision I have made. My father is my role model and after having seen him run our restaurant so successfully for the last 37 years, I too want to be as successful as him and want him to make him more proud.

Enam Ali, who is the person that actually started these real British Curry Awards has been my inspiration and from the very first time I met him 7 years ago when I needed help on my university thesis, he told me that I would go a very long way and that he truly admired me for my role as a female in this industry. Those words today have come in front of me, so thank you Enam for believing in me and giving me this prestige.

Our hospitality and catering industry is a great place to work and its awards like this that give you the feeling of satisfaction and the urge to touch the sky and do even better, I want other youngsters to join our industry and will fully support anyone looking to join this amazing career path”

Dipna is currently managing her father’s restaurant, as well as lecturing in hospitality and teaching Indian cuisine at The University of West and Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College. She is also writing a cookbook which she is hoping to publish next year and has recently started cookery courses open to customers and the general public at her award winning restaurant which has also in the past won the British Curry Award for four consecutive years, together with being voted as ‘Ramsay’s Best Restaurant’ for the channel 4 series. Dipna’s motive is to teach the nation how to cook real Indian food and she says that there is something in the pipeline for her starting a TV cookery series so do watch this space.

The Winners

§ Best Delivery Restaurant/Take-away by Justeat.com – MUSHTAQS (Hamilton, Lanarkshire)

§ Best Restaurant - TAJ INDIAN (Prestwick)

§ Best Restaurant North East - AAGRAH (Leeds)

§ Best Spice Restaurant North West - INDIAN OCEAN (Ashton-u-Lyne)

§ Best Spice Restaurant Midlands – ITIHAAS (Birmingham)

§ Best Newcomer Restaurant Midlands - FIVE RIVERS A LA CARTE (Walsall) § Best Restaurant - RASOI INDIAN KITCHEN (Swansea)

§ Best Restaurant South East - HAWELI INDIAN RESTAURANT (Twyford, Berkshire)

§ Best Newcomer Restaurant South East - SHAMPAN 4 – THE SPINNING WHEEL (Westerham, Kent)

§ Best Restaurant South West - SPICE LODGE (Cheltenham)

§ Best Restaurant South West - THE MINT ROOM (Yeovil, Somerset)

§ Best Restaurant Central London & City - BOMBAY PALACE (Paddington)

§ Best Newcomer Restaurant Central London & City – CHAKRA (Notting Hill)

§ Best Restaurant London Suburbs - CHAK 89 (Surrey)

§ Best in Casual Dining - THE CHILLI PICKLE (Brighton, East Sussex)

§ Special Inspiration Award - Dipna Anand of Brilliant Restaurant - Female