Headlines § e-mail § Publisher details § rates & data § links Est. 1996 Issue 148 June 2009 The British Curry Club Is Launched     Mike Ahmed - Founder of the British Curry Club A new organisation dedicated to promoting the British spice industry and encouraging more consumers to visit curry establishments has been launched. The British Curry Club (www.britishcurryclub.co.uk) has launched with a 6-week national TV advertising campaign being aired on Bangla TV, Islam TV and Channel S. Headquartered in Cardiff, the new organisation encompasses both restaurants and takeaway establishments throughout the UK and is being launched with a £1m marketing spend. Mike Ahmed, Chief Executive of the British Curry Club said: "Our aim is to both represent the interests of the UK spice industry and to widen the appreciation of curry through national marketing and promotional programmes designed to encourage more people to visit curry establishments and on a more regular frequency. Our target is to represent the 12,000 curry houses in the UK, which employ some 80,000 workers and contribute an estimated £3.5billion to the British economy. Although large in number, the spice community is largely comprised of independent family-run businesses, they face huge competition from chains and franchises in other sectors of the food industry with large marketing budgets." A cornerstone of the British Curry Club will be the issuing of over a million 2 for1 membership cards to the public, entitling consumers to discounted meals in member restaurants and takeaways. Both restaurants and consumers will join the British Curry Club in order to take advantage of the organisation's promotional campaigns. To register and promote restaurant membership a team of twenty British Curry Club account managers are operating throughout the country. They will be working with spice establishments to ensure that the Curry Club's range of Point of Sale Support Material is effectively displayed for maximum public awareness. The Club is also introducing an online takeaway system enabling consumers to order meals from member spice establishments for delivery or collection by visiting www.britishcurryclub.co.uk Mike Ahmed said: "Through membership of the British Curry Club restaurants can for the first time benefit from large-scale promotion of the spice sector, which will include more family oriented dining. Our support will be vital with over 150 curry restaurants closing down so far this year, due to tough economic times and a skills shortage in the UK."  "We are embarking on one of the largest ever curry marketing campaigns Britain has ever seen, promoting quality, value and customer service in our industry. We are investing in a major online hub which will take our promotions into new levels of marketing power and sophistication. These are very exciting times and we are receiving major support from both restaurants and companies supplying our trade." To find out more about the British Curry Club, or to subscribe as a member restaurant visit www.britishcurryclub.co.uk   top

Headlines § e-mail § Publisher details § rates & data § links   Mood Food is published by FSR, London, England © 2009 Editor: Peter J. Grove Editorial office: PO Box 416 Surbiton, Surrey, England, KT1 9BJ Tel: 020 8399 4831 email: GroveInt@aol.com