A Nottinghamshire restaurant that promises curry fans a 'five star experience' has been named the best in the East Midlands. Ashiana, which specialises in Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine, was honoured at a celebrity red-carpet event in London celebrating the best of UK Asian cuisine.
The Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards selected winners from 2,400 nominations, rewarding excellence, craft, creativity, and great taste. The feedback of more than 700,000 customers was used to select the finalists before an esteemed judging panel selected the winners.
Ashiana, owned by Saiqul Miah, prides itself on consistency and boasts long-standing staff who enhance the dining experience for every customer. Located just off the A1 in Bathley Lane, North Muskham, the restaurant has a hotel for guests who travel from far and wide.
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Regulars describe the food as "fantastic" and the staff as friendly and welcoming. Once a rural pub, Ashiana has been delivering first-class Indian cuisine for over 20 years. Alongside all the classic curries, the menu features lesser known dishes representative of the owner's Bangladeshi homeland.
Awards founder Salik Mohammed said the quality of entrants had been phenomenal. As well as celebrating top talent, he said the awards offered solidarity and morale for the industry which is currently facing headwinds including with the high cost of energy, inflation, and the impact from the pandemic.
He said: "ARTA 2022 is extremely special for us, as it has returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The gathering was emotional and symbolic, as it brought together members of the Asian cuisine industry during an exceptionally difficult and testing time. The cost of energy crisis is a real threat to the sector, and many are faced with the prospect of closing doors after having served their local communities and patrons for decades.
"This has been a back-to-back assault on the sector, which was recently reeling and recovering from the pandemic, and staffing shortages post-Brexit. It was a poignant moment for us all, to be together and extend moral support and well-wishes."
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