The curry lovers of Wales have been voting in their thousands and today the Festivals Company is pleased to announce that the Top 20 Indian Restaurants competing for the title of Welsh Curry House of the Year 2010 are:
North Wales:
Asia Indian Restaurant
96 Gloddaeth St, Llandudno, LL30 2DS.
Madhia Tandoori Restaurant
Caernarfon Rd, Garndolbenmaen, LL51 9LQ.
Rozis
156 Foryd Rd, Rhyl, LL18 5LS.
Sopna
Felin Wen, Caernarfon, LL55 2BB.
Sopna Tandoori
Pentraeth Road, Menai Bridge, LL59 5RW.
Mid and West Wales:
Bengal Brasserie
1 Long bridge St, Llanidloes, SY18 6EE.
Sheesh Mahal
53 Stepney St, Llanelli, SA15 3YA.
Sher Khans
20 Market St, Llanelli, SA15 1YD.
Spice Club
29 Great Oak St, Llanidloes, SY18 6BW.
Spice Cottage
East St, Rhayader, LD6 5DN.
South Wales:
Barry Gate
98 Main St, Barry, CF63 2HN.
Castle Gate
5 Castle View Shopping Centre, Caerphilly, CF83 1SN.
Koh-i-Noor
164 Chepstow Rd, Newport, NP19 8EG.
Mirchi
89 City Rd, Cardiff, CF24 3BN.
Misbah Tandoori
9 Priory St, Monmouth, NP25 3BR.
Momtaj
118 Commercial St, Maesteg, CF34 9DL.
Nawab Tandoori Restaurant
12 Christina St, Swansea, SA1 4EW.
Simla Tandoori
83-85 Bridgend Rd, Bridgend, CF32 9BA.
Spice Route
Unit 6 Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff, CF10 4JY.
Tiffins
Glyndwr Rd, Cwmbran, NP44 1QS.
“Kingfisher Lager is delighted to be closely associated once again with the Welsh Curry House of the year competition and extends its best wishes to all those in the Industry in Wales,” said Brian Dozey, Marketing Director of UBSN Ltd, sole European Distributors of Kingfisher, the World's No.1 -selling Premium Indian Lager.
“I would like to congratulate the Top 20 for reaching this far in the competition. The response has been spectacular with just over 10,000 votes (6,000 in 2009) registered by the Welsh public for their favourite Indian restaurants. 200 Indian restaurants in Wales, almost 70%, received votes during the 2010 competition. To be included in the Top 20 is fantastic news for the hard working staff. I would like to wish all 20 every success,” said Berwyn Rowlands from the Festivals Company.
A new development for 2010 will see the Top 20 restaurants being asked to include a Really Welsh Curry using leeks on their menus in February as part of the competition.
“For generations, Leeks have proved to be a fantastically versatile vegetable, with as many uses as an onion, but grown in cooler damp climates…… like Wales.
Combining our national vegetable, with wonderfully crafted curries created right across Wales, is a long held ambition, and in the Really Welsh Curry, we think we’ve the ideal blend of local culture and international flavour,” said Richard Arnold, Really Welsh.
What next?
The public vote closed on January 31, 2010 and the judging process has now been handed over to the regional judges who will visit the Top 20 restaurants in each of the three regions of North, Mid & West and South Wales. The judges will sample the food, experience the atmosphere and meet the people involved before deciding on the final winner from each region.
The top three restaurants in Wales, one from each region, will be announced during three regional award events:
· Wednesday 24 Feb 2010: North Wales
· Thursday 25 Feb 2010: Mid and West Wales
· Friday 26 Feb 2010: South Wales
The National judges will spend a full day visiting all three restaurants competing in the final. During the visit each restaurant will be invited to impress the judges with one of their signature dishes, available from the public menu.
The journey for the restaurants will come to an end with the three finalists being invited to the National Award Ceremony in Cineworld, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff on 18 March 2010.
