|
Sanjay
Anand, pioneer of leading Indian restaurant Madhu's, collected his
MBE award from HM The Queen on Thursday 6th December 2007, for his
services to the hospitality industry.
Madhu's
is renowned as the top Asian Outside Caterer in the UK and for
exclusively serving its delectable Punjabi cuisine with a Kenyan
Asian twist at the food halls of the world's most famous store
Harrods, London.
Sanjay
Anand's contribution to the £3.5billion Indian restaurant
industry has continuously been recognised by the array of industry
accolades he has collected throughout his career. His previous
accolades include being the winner of 'Best UK Restaurant' at The
2004 Cobra Good Curry Guide Awards, being nominated at the 2005 Tio
Pepe ITV London Restaurant Awards in the 'Indian Restaurant of the
Year' category, winning a Best In Britain Award for being 'best' in
the restaurant category, winning 'Industry Personality of the Year'
at the 2004 BIBA Awards, in association with The Real Curry
Restaurant Guide and more recently Sanjay won the Best Outside
Caterer Award at 2007 Cobra Good Curry Guide Awards.
Sanjay,
in speaking about collecting the MBE says: "I am thrilled to
have received this coveted award. It is a great honour since it is a
huge accolade for the hospitality industry. Considering our humble
beginnings never did we anticipate this type of recognition for our
work. It is truly rewarding to see the fruits of our labour
recognised in such an honorary way."
Sanjay
started the business as a 17 year-old Punjabi who enlisted his
mother as head chef in the 36-seat restaurant. Today, Madhu's in
Middlesex is a two level restaurant that attracts gourmet diners and
celebrities from across London.
With
forefathers originally from India, in the 1930s Sanjay's
grandparents moved to Nairobi, North Kenya, to set up their family
empire. 'The Brilliant Hotel' was where Sanjay's late father made his
name with his exceptional and unmatchable cooking talent. With Kenyan
political unrest in the 1970s, the Anand's moved to the UK and with
this move, the empire followed. Madhu's Brilliant restaurant opened
on 28th November 1980, with the aid of Sanjay, aged 17 and his
brother Sanjeev, 16. The rest, as they say, is history.
In
the first four years of the restaurant opening, the clientele was
mostly Asian, however after Madhu's received countless awards and
positive reviews, including Timeout and The Good Food Guide, many
non-Asians now dine at the fine restaurant. The Indian Hyatt trained
chefs cook some of the Anand signature dishes, Punjabi cuisine with a
unique Kenyan Asian twist. The high profile guests who have enjoyed
Madhu's fine cuisine include former England cricket player Ian Botham
and American pop star Tina Tuner.
Following
a disastrous fire in 2002, Sanjay refurbished the restaurant with a
chic new style that now includes a calming water feature underneath
the glass floor at the entrance, black granite features, modern high
chairs and polished floorboards.
Moving
from strength to strength, Madhu's is established in the catering
industry as the top UK Asian outside caterer. Madhu's is the only and
first Asian caterer accredited by the top West End hotels including
London's Hilton on Park Lane, Café Royal, Carlton Tower and
Grosvenor House Hotel. Madhu's regularly caters for some of the most
prestigious events in the UK, including the Asian Business Awards
attended by HRH Prince Charles, the Duke of York and HRH Prince
Michael of Kent.
|
