Milon Miah crowned winner of Tommy Miah's International Indian Chef of the Year
Milon Miah of Spice Island Restaurant in Barnard Castle, Durham, was crowned winner of Tommy Miah's International Indian Chef of the Year Competition last night at the Awards dinner in the ILEC Conference Centre in Fulham, London.
Miah beat more than 10,000 entrants to claim the title. Finalists competed on 2 October at the Billingsgate Seafood Training School in London where each had two and a half hours to cook a four-dish menu previously entered via an online form.
Judges included chair of judges Patricia Thomson; food writer Mridula Baljekar; Reuters global news editor, Alessandra Galloni; chairman of the Monastery Manchester, Paul Griffiths; founder of the Curry House website, David Smith; Andrew Selley, CEO of Bidfood; and Durbar restaurant executive head chef Shamim Syed.
UK Restaurant of the Year went to the Tarana Bar and Restaurant group, which has sites in Crawley, West Sussex and Lingfield, Surrey.
Asha's was awarded the International Growth award. Founded by Indian singer and actor Asha Bhosle in 2002, it now has 13 locations in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in the Gulf, and Birmingham and Manchester in the UK.
Kadiri's in Willesden, London, won the Best Boutique Establishment award while Durbar in London and the Taj Mahal in Bridport, Dorset, jointly won the Legends Award.
The Group England Award went to Aagrah which has 13 restaurants in Yorkshire. Shri Bheema's won the Group Scotland Award and Juboraj won the Group Wales Award.
Chef Stephen Gomes' Moksh in Cardiff won the New Concept Award and Little Magna in Littlehampton scooped the Best Marketing Award.
The Lifetime achievement was awarded to British actor Saeed Jaffrey, who passed away in November 2015. His wife accepted the award on his behalf. He starred in films such as Gandhi (1982), a Passage to India (1984), Mad Dogs (2002) and the Chess Players (1977), and TV dramas including Coronation Street, Doctors and Holby City.
Regional awards
- Best restaurant in east midlands: MemSaab, Nottingham
- Best restaurant in West Midlands: Eurasia Tandoori, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
- Best restaurant in Buckinghamshire: Mela, Aston Clinton, Aylesbury
- Best restaurant in Berkshire: River Spice, Reading
- Best restaurant in Oxfordshire: Majliss, Oxford
- Best restaurant in Kent: Buddha Belly, Maidstone, Kent
- Best restaurant in Surrey: Indos, Chertsey, Surrey
- Best restaurant in Hertfordshire: The Don, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
- Best restaurant in Sussex: Mahaan, Worthing
- Best restaurant in Middlesex: Maya Tandoori Restaurant, Uxbridge
- Best restaurant in London: Haandi, Knightsbridge, London
- Best restaurant in South West: Urban Tandoor, Bristol
- Best restaurant in Greater Manchester: Hot Chilli, Bolton
- Best restaurant in North of England: Saathi, Hexham
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