A bid by an award-winning restaurant chain to open pioneering classes for curry chefs in a former school is having to hunt for a new base.

The £300,000 scheme at Willowfield School in Legrams Lane, Bradford, would have spiced up the city by taking on 100 trainees.

It would have been the first school of its type in the region and also become the new headquarters of the fast-expanding Aagrah group.

The students were to learn the secrets of Asian cuisine as they aimed for a National Vocational Qualification in the catering trade.

But now the ambitious scheme for the city - dubbed Britain's curry capital - is at a halt.

Managing Director Mohammed Aslam said: "We have dropped out of the school because it turned out the conversion was double the amount which had already been estimated. It is very disappointing and we now need another building.

"It seems right that it should be here, because Bradford is the curry capital and we have helped put it on the map."

Now Mr Aslam says he wants a 10,000 sq ft two-storey building to save the scheme.

He said they also wanted to provide banqueting facilities in the building. "We are still looking in Bradford and want to keep it here," he said.

The Aagrah will return to its roots if it can find the right building, by moving its headquarters back to Bradford from Pudsey.

Mr Aslam began with a restaurant in Shipley 22 years ago. His group now has an annual turn over of £3.5 million with restaurants in Pudsey, Shipley, Garforth, Tadcaster, Doncaster and Wakefield.

The chain was mentioned in the international Michelin guide to top eating places. Previous awards include international chef of the year; the Booker prize for excellence as an entrepreneur; a winner of the ethnic category of the Great British Recipe Competition, and Indian Restaurant of the Year last year by the Real Curry Guide.

Anyone who can provide a building to help save the innovative Bradford school for curry chefs is being asked to ring Mr Aslam on Bradford (01274) 825272.

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