A BRADFORD restaurant has been recognised as the best in the North East at a prestigious awards ceremony that took place this week.

Mumtaz, on Great Horton Road, was named as the Best Restaurant in the North East at the British Curry Awards after receiving nominations from the public and enduring a "rigorous vetting process by an independent panel of judges."

The awards, which have been deemed as the "curry Oscars" of the food industry took place at Battersea Evolution, London, on Monday, November 29, and were sponsored by Just Eat.

At the event, the UK's finest curry restaurateurs and a flurry of MP's and showbiz and entertainment personalities gathered, including Bradford-based television GP, Dr. Amir Khan, Cricketer, Azeem Rafiq, and radio presenter, James Whale.

Andrew Kenny, UK Managing Director, Just Eat said, “It’s a great honour to once again be sponsoring the British Curry Awards. After an incredibly challenging 18 months, there’s never been a better time to recognise the resilient and hard-working individuals within the restaurant and takeaway sector.

"Despite the many obstacles faced, from shortages in the supply chain to difficulty in recruiting skilled workers, restaurants have risen to the occasion and delivered customers a taste of normality when they needed it the most. We want to ensure that takeaway restaurants – especially in this sector which contributes so much to British culture – don’t just survive, but thrive, in today’s challenging economic climate.”

In a message of support, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said, “I’m delighted that one of the greatest events in our gastronomic calendar, the Curry Oscars, is back in action and it is fantastic to celebrate the genius of our curry restaurateurs who have, for decades, offered their fragrant medleys.

"Throughout the testing times of the past two years, you’ve always responded with resolve and creativity, feeding our NHS heroes and dispatching fleets of mopeds to bring spice to the lives of millions of people at home. since the British Curry Awards are now in their 17th year with a record number of nominations, we’re not just building back better we’re building back balti and I want to thank you all – restaurants, chefs, and waiters – for blessing us with your flavoursome morsels.”

Mumtaz was founded in Bradford in 1979 after it was set up as a stall on Great Horton Road, where it exists as a restaurant today. It serves authentic Kashmiri cuisine and has restaurants in both Bradford and Leeds.

For more information, visit http://www.mumtaz.co.uk/our-history