Seven Kent curry houses have been shortlisted for this year’s Asian Restaurant Awards, being held in Manchester on 27th June

Seven Kent curry houses have been shortlisted for this year’s Asian Restaurant Awards, being held in Manchester on 27th June.

The shortlist was determined by over 100,000 votes from members of the public. A panel of judges for the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which hosts the awards, are currently touring the country to determine the eventual victors. Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony, sponsored by Just East and Booker Wholesale, being held at the Manchester Hilton on Monday 27th June.

The prestigious Fine Dining Category will be contested by Benares, Cinnamon Club, Grand Trunk Road, Heritage Dulwich, Indian Essence in Orpington, and Quilon in London, Ambrette in Canterbury, Indian Essence in Orpington, Mint Room in Bath Navadhanya in Cambridge and Prithvi in Cheltenham.

THE LIST INCLUDES:

Indian Essence, Orpington, (in the London category)
Everest Inn Ashford, Kent
Taj Cuisine, Chatham, Kent
Ambrette, Canterbury, Kent
Rajdani, Kingsdown, Kent
Jumeira, Staplehurst, Kent
Shampan, Westerham, Kent

The full list is online at www.asianrestaurantawards.org

The winner at the year’s event will be included in the ACF’s new ‘One Hundred Top Curry Restaurants’ guide, which is being published currently, region–by–region, at www.Top100curryRestaurants.co.uk, with a printed version being available next year.

ACF’s chairman Yawar Khan says that many curry restaurants are facing an existential crisis: “Soaring food, energy and salary costs, combined with rising National Insurance and VAT rates, plus severe staff shortages, compounded by customers having less money to spend on restaurant visits and takeaways, is seeing record numbers closures,” he said.