Marking the end of National Curry Week (4th – 10th October), the longlist for this year's Asian Curry Awards, being held at London's Grosvenor House on 21st November, has been revealed.  A record number of nominees will now be whittled down by online public vote, before visiting judges determine the eventual winners.

The event, organised by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which represents the nation's 30,000 restaurant and takeaways, are the only accolades acknowledging the full panoply of Asian cuisines, is widely regarded as the sector's most prestigious.

The Asian Curry Awards cover all Asian and Oriental cuisines: Bangladeshi, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

This year entries for the elite fining dining category are: Benares, Cinnamon Club, Veeraswamy, Quilon, Amaya, Jamavar, Umi, A. Wong and Nipa Thai – all in London - plus Opheem in Birmingham and Navdhanya in Cambridge.

Spice lovers can vote for their favourites via www.asiancurryawards.com.

“The pandemic has been devastating for many hospitality businesses and its worker,” said ACF chairman Yawar Khan,” adding, “These awards will acknowledge the sector's resilience, innovation in the face of such adversity.”

Andrew Kenny, Managing Director of Just Eat UK, Headline sponsors of the awards said “Just Eat has worked closely with the Asian Catering Federation for a number of years. As we begin to recover from the pandemic, I'm delighted to celebrate our partnership by helping to recognise the fantastic achievements of those in our industry who have worked tirelessly through the last 18 months and continue to do so.”

In order to survive, some Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants began offering takeaways for the first time.  Others sold finish-at-home meal kits, containing pre measured ingredients and recipe instructions.  Others operated pop-up delivery kitchens, based in locked-down pubs, or run online cookery courses.

Editors' Notes:   Hi res photos available.

The Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which represents the nation's 30,000 Asian and Oriental restaurants organises the only awards open to all Asian cuisines: Bangladeshi, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

The ACF strives to deliver real returns for its members within the Asian catering industry, helping them to find financial success, achieve excellence, and build customer loyalty. It aims to unite Asian caterers on one platform; campaign for greater recognition; achieve members' common goals through partnerships with government and other organisations; provide help with training and create rewarding careers in Asian catering.

The sector employs over 100,000 people and contributes more than £5 billion to the UK economy.

The awards are supported by Just Eat and Booker Wholesale.

Media Contact: Photos, menus, competition prizes and recipes available. For a press invitation please contact George Shaw Avocado Media T: 01892 750851 M: 07860 69555 E: geo@avocadomedia.co.uk