The fifth annual Leicester Curry Awards took place this evening at Leicester’s Athena venue, with more than 500 attendees enjoying an occasion to remember.
With the red carpet rolled out, a number of esteemed guests helped celebrate the rich culture of curry and the fantastic cuisine available in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The evening started with a minute’s silence for the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which was completed impeccably.
The evening’s entertainment was provided by RNR Productions, who performed some mesmorising dance routines, while Lena Bettles wowed the crowd with a stunning vocal performance.
With catering provided by Laguna, attendees were treated to some fantastic cuisine over the course of the evening.
Following the main course, there was a speech by Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire Mike Kapur, before the big event of the evening – the presentation of the awards – took place.
Firstly, three special Legacy Awards were handed out to mark 50 years since the expulsion of Asian people from Uganda. These were presented by Temporary Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police Rob Nixon, with the winners being Sophie Kanabar, Sailesh Thakrar and Jaffar Kapasi OBE.
Eddie Scott of Masterchef fame then gave a short speech, before the main awards section commenced.
The winner of the Best Takeaway award, sponsored by Bond Adams LLP Solicitors, went to Anika Balti Express
The winners in the Best Indian Street Food category, sponsored by Pukaar Group, were Chatwala.
Two more Legacy Awards were then handed out by Air Commodore Joanne Lincoln. These were awarded to The Late Pravinbhai Raichura and The Late Lord Sheikh, and collected by Nirmalaben Raichura and Jaffar Kapasi respectively.
Next came the Best New Restaurant award, sponsored by John Lewis and Partners. This went to Tandem.
The winner of the Best Pub Restaurant award, sponsored by Cobra Beer, was The Broadway Bar and Grill.
Two lifetime achievement awards were then presented to Atul Dawda and Mohammed Yousef, by Gary Newby of ITV News Central.
In the Best Vegetarian Restaurant category sponsored by Kings Real Estate, the judges voted Shivalli as the winner.
The Best Fine Dining Restaurant award, sponsored by Mattioli Woods, was then presented to Avatar Dining.
Our two supported charities, Zinthiya Trust and Charity Link, were then presented with their cheques before the final award of the night.
The very prestigious award of Restaurant of the Year for 2022, sponsored by the University of Leicester, went to Dine India.
Our sincere thanks go to our five judges – Nishan Canagarajah, Becky Jones, David Young, head judge Simon Porter, and judge and host Rajiv Popat.
Thanks too to our all our sponsors – University of Leicester, Bond Adams LLP Solicitors, Mattioli Woods, Cobra Beer, John Lewis & Partners, Pukaar Group and Kings Real Estate. Thanks also to our media partners BBC Radio Leicester, Pukaar News, Pukaar Magazine, PTC Punjabi, Lyca Radio, and Leicester Times. Thanks also to our AV suppliers, Audio Visual Hire Ltd.
And very importantly, thanks to all our attendees for making this such an evening to remember!
We will be bringing you plenty of coverage from the 2022 Leicester Curry Awards over the coming days, so be sure to check our website and social media for more from the awards.