Curry capital honour to be presented this weekend

Bradford is to receive its curry capital crown at the weekend after beating off competition from across the country.

The district beat competition from seventeen other cities, including Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, to claim the prestigious title of Curry Capital of Great Britain.

Owners of the four restaurants that represented the district and the Bradford Council team behind the winning bid will be presented with their award by Anjali Pathak, brand ambassador for Patak’s on Sunday.

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The judging process involved public voting to decide on four restaurants to represent the district with Prashad, in Bradford, the Aagrah, in Shipley, Kipling’s, in Bradford and Shimla Spice, Keighley, claiming the honours locally.

A national vote for each of the cities was then held, along with a bid document from the council outlining why Bradford should win the title, followed by the all-important independent judging period.

Bradford scored highly not just for the quality of food and service offered by each of the restaurants, but also for food hygiene, a deep understanding of the curry restaurant sector and its success in collectively raising funds for food charity The Curry Tree, which seeks to alleviate the plight of the poor in South East Asia.

Anjali Pathak said: “It is an honour to be presenting this year’s Curry Capital award to the deserving winner, Bradford, and great to know that so many people have got involved in this year’s National Curry Week activities by voting for their favourite Indian restaurants.

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“There were many strong contenders in this competition which highlights just how much Indian cuisine is loved in the UK.”

Coun David Green, the council’s executive member for regeneration and economy, said: “It is a very proud moment for everyone involved in the bid to collect the Curry Capital award.

“What makes it doubly satisfying is that as well as honouring the great quality curry available in Bradford, the judges also praised the work being done in the community.

“There has been a great deal of fundraising carried out, a big emphasis placed on food sector training and an incredible amount of public support for the bid.”