BRADFORD's bid to keep the Curry Capital of Britain title for the fourth year running is hotting up as details of this year's submission are revealed.

The team behind the city's efforts hopes a variety of different initiatives, including a special diabetes-friendly recipe book, will help secure the national contest again in 2014.

Representatives of the four restaurants which topped the public vote met for the first time yesterday to discuss their joint bid. They are Kipling's in Greengates and Shimla Spice in Shipley, which were in last year's competition, with the addition of Zaara's in Shipley and the Aakash in Cleckheaton.

Tricia Tillotson, Bradford Council's tourism manager, said: "What we are going to do this year is to try to tick lots of different boxes rather than just have one big thing.

"The NHS is running a Bradford Beating Diabetes campaign, and we are linking up to create a special recipe book.

"The four restaurants will contribute a recipe which meets the NHS criteria - generally low sugar and low fat. And this will form part of our bid along with a DVD covering events such as a poppadomathon and the making of special Curry Capital sausages and pies."

Award-winning butcher, Ilkley-based Lishman's is set to create a Balti pie and special sausages which will be sold in its shop during National Curry Week in October.

In addition Keelham Farm Shop in Thornton will be creating a takeaway meal of lamb rogan josh sausage with bombay potatoes and a special Curry Capital beer, which will also be on sale in October.

Furthermore a poppadomathon will take place on September 8, where air cadets will try to break last year's unofficial world record at Thornbury Barracks, and a speed eating contest is in the process of being organised, where people will be encouraged to see how many poppadoms they can eat in three minutes.

Meanwhile, the main event of the bid process will take the form of an Afternoon Tea with a twist at the Midland Hotel in the city. There will be a traditional look and feel with cake stands, but the food served with have an Asian theme, with the four restaurants, as well as Lishman's and Keelham Farm Shop involved in the catering. A competition will be run at a later date to win a place at one of the tables at this event.

People can now vote for which city they want to see being crowned Curry Capital of Britain for 2014, and runs until September 26. Voting can be done by sending an e-mail to votecity@fedrest.com, on Twitter by tweeting I vote for Bradford to be Curry Capital #bfdcurry to @supportcurry, or calling in to the Bradford Visitor Information Centre on Broadway in the city centre and completing a form.

The winner will be revealed on October 20.