The fifth Leicester Curry Awards brought together members of the region’s vibrant curry scene for an evening to remember. We bring you the highlights from this exciting event.
Now an integral part of the calendar, the Leicester Curry Awards is an opportunity to acknowledge the economic and cultural contributions these businesses make to the region, as well as recognise the resilience shown in the face of the pandemic.
Previous winners have spoken of how success at the awards has directly benefitted their business and seen a positive effect on their profile both locally and nationally. This makes the awards a particularly sought after accolade, and excitement was naturally high ahead of the fifth Leicester Curry Awards on 26th September 2022.
This spectacular black tie event at the Athena venue saw more than 500 guests gather to enjoy delicious food, exciting entertainment and see who would be crowned as winners.
This year’s event was hosted by ITV Central’s Rajiv Popat and attracted a number of esteemed VIPs, while a special celebrity guest was also in attendance, with our cover star and Masterchef winner Eddie Scott making an appearance.
The main awards cover seven categories – Best Takeaway, Best Indian Street Food, Best Pub Restaurant, Best Vegetarian Restaurant, Best New Restaurant, Best Fine Dining Restaurant, and Restaurant of the Year. You can find all the finalists and winners on the Leicester Curry Awards website.
Five special awards were presented to mark 50 years since the expulsion of Asian people from Uganda. Given to people with ties to Uganda who have made a big impact on the culture and community of Leicester, the Uganda 50: Legacy Awards were presented to Sophie Kanabar, Sailesh Thakrar and Jaffer Kapasi OBE, the Late Pravinbhai Raichura and the Late Lord Sheikh.
Lifetime achievement awards were given to restaurant owner Atul Dawda and chef Mohammed Yousuf, both of whom who have made outstanding contributions to the curry industry in the region.
The awards also help raise funds for local charities, with representatives from Zinthiya Trust and Charity Link receiving cheques for their charities.
Additionally, guests enjoyed entertainment from dance group R&R Productions and singer Lena Bettles, and excellent food from Laguna Event Caterers from London.
Raising the profile of the region and bringing press attention from around the world, there is no doubt these awards place Leicestershire and Rutland among the best of the best in the UK’s food scene. This year’s event was broadcast live on television by PTC Punjabi to audiences worldwide, as well as receiving coverage on local radio from BBC Radio Leicester.
The Leicester Curry Awards have proven to be such a successful concept that they are going global. The Toronto Curry Awards have already taken place, and the inaugural Paris Curry Awards are set to be held in 2023.
Plans are already underway for next year’s event, with a rebranding taking place due to the high demand. In 2023, the event will be renamed the Leicestershire and Rutland Curry Awards, with another special evening sure to be in store.
To find out more about the Leicester Curry Awards, visit: www.leicestercurryawards.com
