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BIBA
Newcomer of the Year 2007
We have
never had so many top class restaurants shortlisted for this title.
There is a case for each restaurant and any may well have won in any
other year, from the smaller but top class Café Rasoi in
Heathfield and Anokaa in Salisbury, to the grander Prana in
Bormingham or Silk Road in Milton Keyens. The winner this year,
however, is Asha's in Birmingham, the
signature restaurant in UK for Asha Bosle, whose restaurant in Dubai
has received so much acclaim.
Silk Road,
Milton Keynes - Akbars, Manchester - Café Mumbai, Southampton
- Bukhara, Samlesbury - MaCH Lincoln - Memsaab, SW6 - Café
Zia, SW8 - Tamarai/Sitaray, WC2 - Kavi, Newcastle under Lyne - The
Spicery, Newcastle - Asha's, Birmingham
- Bilash, Birmingham - Prana, Birmingham - M.Y.O., Coventry - Anokaa,
Salisbury - Saffron Club, Sheffield - Café Rasoi, Heathfield
BIBA
Group of the Year 2007
BIBA
Group of the Year goes to Masala
World once
again for two reasons. Firstly, they now have 3 restaurants in the
BIBA Top 30 - something never achieved before - and secondly, they
are expanding their Masala Zone operation to new outlets, meaning the
group now have a complete spread from Michelin star winning Amaya to
the more mass market Masala Zones.
Akbars - House
of Spice - Spice Merchant - Empire Group - Aagrah - Jinnah - Masala
World - Jaipur Spice
BIBA
CUSTOMER RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2007
This award
goes for the second time to Mohammed Rafiq's Kiplings
in Bradford who beat Café Rasoi into second place by some
margin. Such is Raf's personal popularity that it is likely that his
customers would sign almost anything to support him. Kiplings was
also the top charity fund raising restaurant in Curry Capital of
Britain this year.
Kiplings,
Bradford - Mother India, Glasgow - Café Rasoi,
Heathfield - Ashoka (Flame), Glasgow - Emperor of India, Bray
BIBA
INDUSTRY PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2007
The winner
this year has to be Lord Karan Bilimoria of Chelsea
CBE DL. Appointed to the Upper House in June 2006, he must be
one of Britain's most prolific award recipients, in addition to being
the very successful CEO of Cobra Beer. Other awards are Honorary
Doctor of Staffordshire University 2006, Honorary Doctor of Letters
Heriot-Watt University 2005, Honorary Doctor of Business Brunel
University 2005, Business Person of the Year 2004, Entrepreneur of
the Year 2003 & 2004, Asian of the Year 2002, Deputy Lieutenant
Greater London 2001, Chancellor Thames Valley University 2005, and
many more awards and appointments.
Karan
Bilimoria, Cobra - Charan Gill, (ex Harlequin) - Lopa
Patel, Redhotcurry.com - Sanjay Majhu, Harlequin
BIBA
RESTAURANT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2007
The Bombay
Brasserie opened in London on December 7, 1982 and changed the face
of Indian cuisine in Britain. Adi Modi was
in charge then and twenty five years later he is still in charge, as
Senior Vice President and Director, and the restaurant is still a
benchmark for others.
Satty Singh,
Mr Singh's - Mohammed Aslam, Aagrah - Adi Modi,
Bombay Brasserie - Enam Ali, Le Raj - Atul Kochhar, Benares
BIBA
FRONT OF HOUSE AWARD 2007
Nominations
for this award were late coming and included some interesting new
faces. The consumate professional Rajesh Suri of Tamarind and Imli,
twice a winner of the award has deliberately stepped back for the
last few years and last year's winner Raj Bajwe was unfortunate to
have his Café India in Glasgow burn down. Once again, by a
huge margin, the award goes to Mohammed Rafiq (Raf)
of Kiplings in Bradford, who has
the most amazing relationship with his customers and was even in the
last stages (like first reserve by mid-June)
to go into the house for Big Brother, only to turn it
down to get back to his restaurant. He would undoubtedly have won it
hands down. In second place was Jabed Kamali of Café Rasoi in
Heathfield E. Sussex.
BIBA
BEST IN SCOTLAND 2007
Britannia
Spice was the winner in this category in 2006 and also in the
British Curry Awards 2005 & 2006 and, although there are now
several contenders appearing, we see no reason why the award should
not go to Britannia Spice once again.
Dil'Se, Dundee
- Britannia Spice, Edinburgh - Far
Pavilions, Edinburgh - Ashoka at the Mill, Glasgow - India Quay,
Glasgow - Ashoka (Flame), Glasgow
BIBA
BEST IN WALES & WEST 2007
The
competition is becoming increasingly fierce with several exciting new
restaurants in Wales, as well as places such as Salisbury. Spice
Quarter took the title last year but this year it goes to Babru
Miah's Juboraj Lakeside from the very
popular Juboraj Group.
Cinnamon Tree,
Cardiff - Juboraj Lakeside, Cardiff -
Bengal Dynasty, Shotton - Spice Quarter, Cardiff - Café Naz,
Cardiff - Royal Jaipur, Salisbury
BIBA
BEST IN NORTH 2007
The North
is really raising the stakes nationally with many new and exciting
restaurants. The Aagrah in Shipley is always amongst the front
runners but this year the award goes to Indian Ocean
in Ashton under Lyne.
The Pearl,
Manchester - Aagrah, Shipley - Indian Ocean,
Ashton under Lyne - Ashoka, Rossendale - Last Days of the
Raj, Gateshead
BIBA
BEST IN MIDLANDS 2007
The
standard in the Midlands is one of the highest in the country and a
strong case can be made for any one of the shortlisted restaurants to
be the winner this year. Such has been the number of recommendations
received, however, that the award-winning MemSaab
in Nottingham is the narrow victor.
Juboraj,
Milton Keynes - EK Maya, Leicester - Itihaas, Birmingham - Mango
Tree, Stonall - MemSaab, Nottingham -
Lasan, Birmingham
BIBA
BEST IN SOUTH 2007
'The only
one of its kind' is how their website describes this winner. The
Brilliant in Southall has been an institution for many years
run by Kewal & Gulu Anand. Now, run by Gulu's son and daughter,
the restaurant has been brought right into the 21st century, showing
the way for others and fully deserves the award.
Tamasha,
Bromley - Babur Brasserie, SE23 - Chutney Mary, SW10 - Bombay
Brasserie, SW7 - Brilliant, Southall
- Tamarind W1
BIBA
BEST ORIENTAL RESTAURANT 2007
This award
goes once again to Kai in Mayfair from some
really hot competition. The editors of Menu Magazine said they had
one of the best meals of their lives at this restaurant and if that
is not recommendation enough it is the choice of many other restaurateurs.
China Tang, W1
- Kai, W1 - Hakkasan, W1 - Awana, SW3
- Zuma, SW7 - Shanghai Blues, WC1
BIBA
BEST THAI RESTAURANT 2007
The Jaipur
in Milton Keynes is best known for its amazing architecture and
Indian cuisine. However, no longer - the Thai
Orchid Lounge deserves fulsome praise, even in the face of
intense competition from London favourites.
Mango Tree, W1
- Blue Elephant, SW6 - Crazy Bear, SW1 - Saran Rom, SW6 - Orchid
Lounge at Jaipur, Milton Keynes - Nahm, SW1
BIBA
BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT 2007
Run by
Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, Caldesi in
Marylebone Lane has presented fantastic Tuscan food for over 12 years
and continues to enjoy the highest reputation.
Il Convivio,
SW1 - Locanda Locatelli, W1 - Passione, W1 - Caldesi,
W1 - Timo, W8
BIBA
BEST MOOD FOOD RESTAURANT 2007
London has
so many different cuisines to offer that it is not surprising that
all five shortlisted are based there. Noura Central was once again a
very strong contender, but this year the award goes to the Caribbean
fun of Cottons in Exmouth Market EC1.
Moro, EC1 -
Fahkreldine, W1 - Noura Central, SW1 - Destino, W1 - Cotton,
EC1
Winners
will be invited to attend a "Celebration of Achievement" at
the Bollywood
or Ballgowns Grand Charity Ball in
London at the end of National Curry Week on 27th October.
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