The British Curry Awards facts for kids
The British Curry Awards are a special event that celebrates the best of the British curry industry. They were started in 2005 by a person named Enam Ali. These awards happen every year to honor amazing curry restaurants and takeaways across the United Kingdom.
For many years, from 2015 to 2022, the British Curry Awards chose winners in different categories. However, in 2023, the awards changed. Instead of an awards ceremony, they started publishing an annual book called British Curry Guide. This guide still highlights great curry places.
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What are the Awards About?
The awards are given out for different parts of the UK. This means restaurants in Scotland, the North West, North East, Midlands, Wales, South East, South West, and different parts of London (Central and Suburbs) can all win. There are also awards for different types of expertise, like the best new restaurant or the best delivery service. The awards have also worked with JustEat.com, which is a popular online food delivery service.
How Winners Were Chosen
Before 2023, the British Curry Awards had many categories. They recognized restaurants for being the best in different regions and for specific qualities, like being a great casual dining spot or a new place.
Winners from 2015 to 2016
Here are some of the winners from earlier years, showing the variety of categories:
| Year | casual dining restaurant | newcomer | delivery service | in the North West | in Wales | in the Midlands | of South East | in Scotland | in London Central and City | in the North East | in London Suburbs | in the South West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Dabbawal | Calcutta Club | The Chilli Pickle, Brighton | The Viceroy in Carlisle | Sheesh Mahal, Llanelli | Pushkar | Shampan at The Spinning Wheel | Karma, Scotland | The Cinnamon Club, Westminster, London | Aagrah Leeds | Green Spice | Spice Lodge |
| 2016 | Dishoom, Covent Garden, London | Darbaar, Shoreditch, London | The Chilli Pickle, Brighton | Blue Tiffin, Royton, Oldham | Sheesh Mahal, Llanelli | Asha's, Birmingham | Maliks, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire | Karma, Whitburn, Bathgate | The Cinnamon Club, Westminster, London | Aakash, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire | Shampan Welling, Bexley | Prithvi, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
Awards During the Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the awards ceremony was held online. The categories changed to recognize how restaurants and people in the curry industry helped their communities during a difficult time. They celebrated things like outstanding service and inspirational people.
| Year | London restaurant in the pandemic | Inspirational woman | Entrepreneur | Family restaurant team | Inspirational person | Outstanding service to local community | Special recognition for media coverage | Takeaway during the pandemic | Outstanding service during the pandemic | Leadership in the pandemic | Outstanding service in the pandemic | Outstanding service during the pandemic | Unsung chef |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Atul Kochhar, Kanishka London | Pervin Todiwala, Cafe Spice Namaste | Jalf Ali, Dabbawal/Khai Khai Newcastle | Gulu Anand, Brilliant Southall | Dabirul Islam-Choudhury OBE | Zakir Khan, Zyka Restaurant Reading | Mohammad Jubair, Channel S | Safwaan Choudhury, British Raj Takeaway | Habibur Khan, Radhuni Scotland | Salim Choudhury, British Bangladeshi Caterers Association | Naz Islam, Saffron Northampton | Sujit D'Almeida, Urban Tandoor Bristol | Raman Shah, Eastleigh |
Awards After the Pandemic
After the pandemic, the award categories changed again. They went back to focusing on regional winners, but also kept categories for takeaways and newcomers. In 2022, they even had a "Personality of the Year" award.
| Year | Scotland | North East | North West | East Midlands | West Midlands | Wales | South East | South West | London Central and City | London Suburbs | Takeaway | Newcomer | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Dishoom, Edinburgh | Mumtaz, Bradford | Asha's, Manchester | Montaz, Newmarket | Pushkar, Birmingham | Purple Poppadom, Cardiff | Chez Mumtaz, St Albans | Prithvi, Cheltenham | Benares, Mayfair | Shampan Bromley | Maliks Express Kitchen, Gerrards Cross | Mathura, Westminster, London | (most innovative) Khai Khai, Newcastle |
| 2022 | Swadish by Ajay Kumar, Glasgow | Khai Khai Indian Restaurant, Newcastle | Mowgli Street Food Liverpool | Calcutta Club Restaurant, Nottingham | Lasan, Birmingham | Purple Poppadom, Cardiff | Shampan at the Spinning Wheel, Westerham, Kent | Prithvi Restaurant, Cheltenham | Benares, Mayfair | Copper Ceylon, Bromley | Maliks Express Kitchen, Gerrads Cross | Colonel Saab, Holborn | (Personality of the year) Khalilur Rahman |
