The National Curry Awards (NCA) has honoured the UK Curry Industry at a new awards ceremony, hosted in the House of Lords this September.
The awards were presented in three categories recognising outstanding chefs and successful restaurants and food businesses across the UK.
The inaugural ceremony took place on Monday 2nd September and was attended by politicians and celebrities, along with staff and restaurant owners from establishments across the country, who gathered in London to hear the winners announced.
Nominations for Best Chef, Best Takeaway and Best Restaurant came in from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales with awards handed out to winners in locations as far apart as Bangor and Bedfordshire and as far north as St Andrews in Scotland.
The Asian catering industry is worth an estimated £5 billion to the UK economy, but in recent years has witnessed a worrying decline that has been largely attributed to a shortage of skilled workers and lack of investment in training.
The NCA was launched to address these concerns and aims to positively promote the industry by highlighting the sector’s success stories and its wider contribution to UK culture.
Winners at the National Curry Awards 2019 range from long-established family businesses to more recently launched ventures which, along with the winning chefs, exemplify what can be achieved through dedication to first-class customer service and the creation of fantastic cuisine.
These curry heroes are making a positive impact in their local communities and showcasing their success will hopefully inspire a new generation to join the industry, securing its future for curry lovers across the UK for many more years to come