Leading Asian chefs will compete in a dramatic cook off to determine the winner of this year's  'Asian & Oriental Chef of the Year' in the Asian Curry Awards 2015.

The country's ten top chefs, voted for by members of curry loving public, will go head-to-head in the competition being held at Pillars Restaurant at the University of West London in Ealing on Monday 5th October. The competition begins at 12:00noon.

A team of judges will be led by Pat Chapman, the editor and founder of the Cobra Good Curry Guide, includes Michael Coaker, Senior Lecturer Culinary Arts from the London School of Hospitality and Tourism; Momtaz Begum-Hossain​, Editorial Director​ of Asiana.TV; Master Chef Jason Freedman, Chinese Master Chef and Michelin star winner William Poon, food and travel writer Neil Hennessy-Vass, restaurant critic Emily Knight, Ian Fenn editor of Chopstix and award-winning food writer Ria Amber Tesia.

The winner will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony being held at The 5th Asian Curry Awards 2015 at the London Hilton, Park Lane, London on Sunday on 15th November 2015.

Other category winners which will be revealed on the night will be:

• Asian Restaurant of the Year
• East Asian Takeaway/Delivery of the Year
• South Asian Takeaway/Delivery of the Year
• Newcomer of the Year (restaurants established less than 3 years)
• Young Asian & Oriental Chef of the Year (under 30)
• East Asian Restaurant of the Year
• Best International Asian Restaurant
• Lifetime Achievement Award

There are also 10 regional awards for the Best South Asian restaurants in London, London suburbs, South East, South West, East, South Coast, North, Midlands, Wales and Scotland & Northern Ireland.

The finalists will are be announced at a special networking lunch in the Terrace Pavilion at the House of Commons on Monday 12th October.

Restaurateurs will have the chance to meet local MPs and discuss challenging issues facing the curry restaurant and takeaway industry with their fellow business owners.  Over 50 MPs have already confirmed their attendance.

Curry lovers still have time to vote for their favourite Indian, Bangladeshi  Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Malaysian restaurants and chefs.   Voting for the 5th Asian Curry Awards closes  30th September.  Vote online via www.asiancurryawards.com/nomination or email the name and location of the restaurant to vote@asiancurryawards.com

“Ultimately, the winner restaurants will be decided buy a team of judges led by Pat Chapman, editor of the Cobra Good Curry Guide, but the short list is being determined by votes from members of the public – there's very little daylight between them with everything still to play for,” said Asian Curry Awards chairman, Yawar Khan.

“We expect top chefs to challenging the existing standards and exceed them,” said judge chairman Pat Chapman, who added, “These Awards are designed to encourage our young people into the restaurant industry and to motivate those already in the profession to set sights even higher.”

Nominations forms and details of the whole awards process may be downloaded from the ACA website www.asiancurryawards.com.

ENDS

Editors' Notes:

The Awards are a joint initiative from the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers (FoBC) and the Asian Caterers Federation (ACF).

The awards are open to businesses that have been trading for at least 12 months and have a minimum 4-star hygiene rating, with a plan to boost this to 5 stars.

Current sponsors include: Cobra  Beer, Square Mile Insurance, Aroma, Malayasian Kitchen, Asian Catering Federation, Chinese Takeaway Association, Malayasian Restaurant Association.

Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers: The “voice of the curry industry” is a nationwide non-profit making and non-political organisation, led by the Westminster Press and Parliamentary office – which lobbies on MPs, Government and Whitehall, promoting and protecting the interests of the curry industry in Britain. 

The FoBC viewpoint delivers a wide range of high quality business services to its members.  The Bangladeshi dominated curry industry contributes approximately £4.5 billion to the British economy and creates about 100,000 employment opportunities.

Asian Catering Federation: “Uniting the Asian Food Industry's a sister organisation with a similar objectives representing restaurateurs outside the Bangladeshi community across the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia, with members drawn from the Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Burmese, Korean, Singaporean and India restaurant sectors.

Media Contact:  George Shaw, Avocado Media

T: 01892 750851  M: 07860 695555 geo@avocadomedia.co.uk

Yawar Khan, Chairman, Asian Curry Awards

No 1 Poultry, London EC2R 8JR T: 020 83956820  M: 07939 936 786      

E: info@asiancurryawards.com W: www.asiancurryawards.com @AsianCurryAward