Calcutta Club wins Best Restaurant in the UK award at the British Curry Awards!

British Curry Awards is an annual event and this year it was held on 30th November. In its 11^th year the awards have become the BAFTA's of the curry world. The awards ceremony gives a chance for the industry as a whole, foodies, celebrities, MP’s and dignitaries to pay homage to the nation’s finest curry restaurants. The United Kingdom houses 10,000 Indian, Nepalese Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan restaurants (or Southern Asian) and these are filtered down to 100 of the best on the night. There are several different categories that you can be nominated for by the general public before a judging/screening process takes place to find the best of the best. The judging takes into account food, presentation, service, menus, wine lists, uniqueness and several other factors. This year the Best Restaurant in the UK award in the Newcomers category was handed to Nottingham’s Calcutta Club Restaurant.  We used this opportunity to catch up with John Dhaliwal - Director at Calcutta Club - to talk about their success at the British Curry Awards. How does it feel to win the Best Restaurant in the UK award in the Newcomers category? We are two hands-on Directors who are very passionate about what we do. We have recruited a team, both front of house and kitchens, who are equally enthusiastic about their work. The last 20 months have been hard work, but enjoyable because of the people we work with, what we do, and the guests we host. It is "lifting" to be recognised for what we do. It is also a huge driver for the team to know that we are all leaders of a highly competitive market. What inspired you to establish Calcutta Club? The inspiration is 'polo'. Polo is a sport established in Persia and modified to the game we know today by the British in India. Polo was played by the rich and elite of India. Calcutta Club is the oldest polo club in the world today. Can you reveal any future plans for the restaurant? Our restaurant is still in its infancy, existing for a mere 20 months. The interior of our restaurant has been meticulously decorated throughout with future plans to enhance and strengthen the 'polo' concept further. Food is and will continue to be the integral part of the concept. We will continue to recruit front of house team on merit and personality alike and have an informal approach to our guests and welcome them into our home. We will continue to thrive and be passionate about what we do. The Experience Nottinghamshire team would like to congratulate everyone at Calcutta Club on their success in the British Curry Awards. It's amazing to see that their hard work is paying off. To find out more on Nottingham's award winning curry house, please visit their website.