Tommy Miah facts for kids

Tommy Miah, whose full name is Mohammad Ajman Miah, is a famous British chef. He was born in Bangladesh on March 28, 1959. Many people know him as the "Curry King" in Britain. He owns the Raj Restaurant and started a big cooking contest called the International Indian Chef of the Year Competition. He has also received an award called the MBE for his work.

Tommy Miah's Early Life

Tommy Miah was born in a village in what was then East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. When he was 10 years old, he moved to Birmingham, England. He loved food and cooking from a young age. This interest led him to start working in the food industry. By the time he was 17, he opened his very own small takeout restaurant.

Tommy Miah's Career in Cooking

Tommy Miah became well-known in Edinburgh, Scotland. There, he opened his restaurant, the Raj Restaurant. In 1991, he created the International Indian Chef of the Year Competition. This contest helps to find new and exciting ways to cook Indian food. It also encourages high quality in cooking. Thousands of chefs from all over the world join this competition.

The competition also helps a good cause. It raises money for the Sreepur Village Orphanage in Bangladesh. Tommy Miah was also chosen to lead the first food festival for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Delhi. He even represented Bangladesh by cooking traditional Bangladeshi dishes for their Foreign Office.

Training Future Chefs

Tommy Miah also started the Tommy Miah Institute of Hospitality Management. This school teaches people from Bangladesh how to work in hotels and restaurants around the world. He also owns the Original Raj Hotel in Murrayfield and The Heritage Restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Amazing Achievements

Tommy Miah has done many impressive things. He once delivered a curry lunch to the Prime Minister, John Major, at 10 Downing Street. He also cooked the world's largest curry, which was big enough to feed 10,000 people! He has helped make Asian food more popular and created new dishes for big food companies. He was even the first person to make Indian meals available on flights worldwide.

Tommy Miah cares a lot about helping others. He has supported many charity groups in both Bangladesh and Britain. These groups include Cancer Research UK, Shishu Polli, and the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital. He also teaches food hygiene classes in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Plus, he helps students from other countries study in the UK.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2004, Tommy Miah was chosen as a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. This is a special group that recognizes people who have made important contributions to society.

In 2017, he received a very important award. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This honor was given to him for all his hard work in the hospitality industry and for his charity efforts.