Three victories for district in English Curry Awards (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Three victories for district in English Curry Awards

9:00am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News

Bradford scooped three awards at the English Curry Awards as the district battles to retain its Curry Capital of Britain title.

Bradford Council’s tourism team got a taste of success when they won the title Curry Lover of the Year at the national awards.

It was awarded for the tourism team’s outstanding work and commitment to the curry industry in Bradford.

They beat off competition from other finalists including the Bradford College Food Academy.

Also winning accolades for the city were Mohammed Sabir, from the Aagrah, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award and Shabir Hussain, from Akbar's, who retained his crown as Curry King of the Year.

Both restaurants are involved in the current bid to retain the Curry Capital title.

The Lifetime Achievement Award commemorates a lifetime of work and dedication to the curry industry.

The title Curry King 2012 is awarded to an individual who has engrossed themselves in the curry industry and successfully emerged at the forefront of the industry.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the Council’s executive member for culture and tourism, said: “It's great to see that Bradford is being recognised for its excellence in this area. What's especially pleasing is the fact that two of the representatives for our bid to retain the Curry Capital of Britain award were also successful at this event.”

Awards organiser Yasmin Mahmood said: “The awards were a runaway success and have made their mark in the English Asian calendar. There was a fantastic turnout and an electric atmosphere inside The Excellency Centre which represented the vibrant and varied talents within the room.

“This year’s awards succeeded in both raising money for a worthy charity and paying tribute to England’s thriving curry industry.”

The awards are aimed at recognising the curry industry and all its facets.

The Council submitted its bid to retain the Curry Capital crown for 2012 earlier this week. If successful, it would be the district’s third time to hold the title. This year's entry takes the form of a film highlighting the success of Bradford's curry industry. The film will be available for people to see on visitbradford.com in two weeks.

The winner will be announced on Monday, October 29.