Sheffield restaurant is a winner in 'Oscars of the curry industry'

The Vine Indian Cuisine, on School Street, in Mosborough, was a winner at the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards (ARTA) 2019.

It won the regional chef of the year award for the north east at the ceremony, which took place in London on Sunday.

The awards recognise the best South Asian, Thai and Chinese cuisine across the UK, with organisers calling them the ‘Oscars of the curry industry’.

More than 2,400 applications were initially whittled down via a survey of more than 350,000 customers using ChefOnline – an app used by diners to order food and book tables.

The winners were then chosen by a panel of judges including MPs, top chefs and the ex-England cricketer Devon Malcolm.

The Vine’s owner, Mukter Ali, described the award as an ‘incredible honour’.

“We thank our valued customers in Mosborough, without whom this would not have been possible,” he added.

“Curry and Asian food have become such a huge part of British culture and to be recognised as the best in the North East is truly remarkable. We are inspired to carry our work and create more happy customers.”

Another Mosborough business, Khushboo Bangladeshi and Indian Takeaway, also triumphed on the night, being named best regional takeaway in the north east region.

The UK’s curry industry contributes £5 billion annually to the national economy, according to the event’s organisers.

Salik Munim, ARTA’s chief executive, said he had been ‘immensely impressed by the quality on show this year’.

“The selection process has been rigorous, and we witnessed some remarkable contestants, therefore picking the winners wasn’t easy. All the winners and finalists should be equally proud,” he added.