New Delhi
14 July 2007
Britain's love affair with curry and chicken tikka masala will continue
when parliamentarians and celebrities gather at the House of Commons on Tuesday for
a gastronomic contest to select the best South Asian restaurant in Britain. The annual
Tiffin Cup will be the occasion.
Eleven finalists will battle it out to impress a number of celebrity judges. Each restaurant
will prepare one meal for the judges to enjoy before they decide who is the worthy
winner. The restaurants have all been nominated by their local MPs and have beaten off
competition from numerous other restaurants for their place in the final.
British MP of Indian origin Keith Vaz says, "This is the third anniversary of the Tiffin Cup
and it has become a very popular occasion. It is always a fun evening and a chance to
raise some money for a worthy cause." The proceeds will go to the Chance to Shine
Appeal, a charity aiming to make cricket more widely accessible to school children from
all social backgrounds.
Mr Vaz adds, "Events such as these are so important to British culture. It is a chance to
celebrate the best aspect of Britain, its diversity and its competitive spirit." The Tiffin
Cup is awarded every year by the Tiffin Club of MPs, formed in 2005 by Mr Vaz and
fellow parliamentarians John Barrett and Michael Fabricant.
The Passage to India from the Wales and West region, Shahi Quila from the North-West
and Queen's Spice from the Scotland-South region are among the 11 finalists. Justice
Minister British Justice Minister Jack Straw has nominated the Shahi Quila. Queen's
Spice has reached the final for the second year in a row. John Barrett, Liberal Democrat
MP for Edinburgh West in Scotland, ran an online poll on his website so that people
could vote for their favourite curry house in Edinburgh West.
According to the MPs, The Tiffin Cup is a colourful culinary contribution to the
multicultural British food industry and also raises a greater awareness and
understanding of Britain's Asian communities. They acknowledged that the nearly 10,000
South Asian restaurants in the United Kingdom have changed British eating habits.
The contest will take place at Bellamy's Restaurant in the House of Commons. The
celebrity judges will include author Sybil Kapoor, restauranteur Sanjay Anand,
Washington Mayfair Hotel's Head Chef Rajesh Rao and Head Chef of the Moti Mahal in
Covent Garden Anirudh Arora.
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