There is a moment, in every great curry house, when the food stops being just food. It becomes a story , of a family who crossed an ocean, of a teenager who fell in love with a kitchen, of a community that gathered around a table and never left. England’s curry industry is built on thousands of those moments, playing out every evening in restaurants from Bradford to Basingstoke, Norwich to Winsford.
Today, we are proud to introduce the people who embody them.
Curry CNCT is delighted to announce the first fifteen of England’s Regional Curry Ambassadors — an extraordinary group of restaurateurs and entrepreneurs appointed to champion their regions, celebrate their communities and help shape the future of the industry we all love. This is just the first wave. More ambassadors will be announced in the coming months as we continue to build a network that truly reflects the breadth and brilliance of England’s curry scene.
These are not just restaurant owners. They are pioneers, community builders, award-winners and standard-bearers. They are the people who stayed open through a pandemic, who raised thousands for local causes, who served third-generation customers and trained the next generation of chefs. They are, in every sense, the heart of England’s curry scene.
Here is their story.
Afzal Hassan
Bombay Lounge, Winsford | Cheshire
Afzal Hassan opened Bombay Lounge on Wharton Road, Winsford in 2019, relaunching a former site with a bold new vision for Indian dining in mid-Cheshire. The restaurant has since become one of the region’s most decorated , winning Best Curry and Best Restaurant in Mid-Cheshire three years running, and taking home Outstanding Curry of the Year at the Nation’s Curry Awards in Manchester. In 2024, Bombay Lounge was shortlisted for Best Restaurant in Cheshire at the Prestige Curry Awards. A recognition, Afzal says, that reflects the passion and dedication of his entire team.
Abdul Majeed
Aroma Asian Restaurant, Burnley | Lancashire
Abdul Majeed’s journey in hospitality spans more than four decades , and it began the moment he arrived in Burnley in 1979. He went on to establish the Kohinoor restaurant on Manchester Road, then opened the beloved Shalamar Tandoori in 1987, before transforming it into Aroma Asian Restaurant in 2007: a modern dining experience built on the values that have always guided him , quality, consistency and genuine care for every guest who walks through the door.
Many of the customers who dined with him in those early years still visit Aroma today, and that continuity says everything. Aroma has earned multiple North West Restaurant of the Year titles, including North West Curry Restaurant of the Year 2025, and its Head Chef was named Curry Chef of the Year 2026. Abdul himself received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to the industry , an honour that reflects not just a career, but a life’s work.
Mrs Geeta Bhandari
Da Mount Gurkha, Liverpool | Merseyside
In 2015, Geeta Bhandari and her family opened Da Mount Gurkha in Waterloo, Liverpool, with a dream of sharing authentic Nepalese cuisine with their local community. The journey, she says, has not always been easy , but through hard work, determination and the unwavering support of her husband and children, they have built something truly special: a restaurant loved by a loyal community of customers who come back not just for the food, but for the warmth.
As a woman in the curry industry, Geeta is a proud advocate for greater diversity and female leadership in hospitality, and she has been recognised as Curry CNCT’s first Women’s Ambassador. It is a role she embraces with open arms, and a commitment to supporting and celebrating the women who are driving this industry forward.
Mohammed Rafiq
Kiplings Restaurant, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax | West Yorkshire
Born in Leeds to a family with roots in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, Mohammed Rafiq — known to everyone simply as Raf — has been a force in the curry industry for over 35 years. As Senior Chef and Front of House Manager at Kiplings in Sowerby Bridge, he is equally at home behind the stove and in the dining room, and has the accolades to prove it: Lifetime Contribution Award at the Bradford Curry Awards 2025, Best Front of House Person in the UK at the BIBA Awards 2003, six-time member of the team that won Bradford its Curry Capital of the UK title, Brick Lane Food Festival cook-off winner in 2009, and — perhaps most memorably — part of the team behind a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest samosa, weighing in at 114lbs.
Off the clock, Raf gives cooking demonstrations for children with special needs, supports local hospice fundraisers and runs European-Indian fusion events across Yorkshire. A devoted Leeds United and Yorkshire Cricket fan, he brings the same passion to the terraces as he does to the kitchen. Genuine, kind-hearted and still as fired up about a great curry as the day he started — West Yorkshire is lucky to have him.
Zameer Khan
International Restaurants, Bradford | West Yorkshire
International has been a Bradford institution since 1976, when Zameer Khan’s father opened the original restaurant on Morley Street and began building a reputation for authentic Pakistani curries that would stand for half a century. The business has expanded to a second site on Sticker Lane , earning cult status in a city that takes its curry seriously, and winning Best Restaurant at the Curry Life Awards along the way.
Nearly 50 years in, International remains as relevant and beloved as ever. That is not luck. That is craft, consistency and a family’s extraordinary commitment to the city that shaped them.
Mumitur Choudhury
Lalbagh Indian Restaurant, Bourn, Cambridge | Cambridgeshire
In 2008, brothers Miftaur and Mumitur Choudhury spotted a former pub sitting empty in the beautiful village of Bourn, and saw something others might have missed , the makings of one of Cambridgeshire’s finest Indian restaurants. More than fifteen years later, Lalbagh has delivered on every bit of that promise: a celebrated destination for award-winning Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine, built on exceptional attention to detail, a constantly evolving menu and a passion for hospitality that has never dimmed. Lalbagh holds an Outstanding Achievement Award and is regarded as one of the finest Indian dining experiences in the east of England.
Wali Ullah
Spice Valley, Norwich | Norfolk
Wali Ullah’s story begins in Dhaka and ends , for now , in one of Norwich’s most talked-about restaurants. He co-founded Spice Valley in 2018 with a determination to bring something genuinely different to East Anglia: a menu that spans lobster and crab, Hyderabadi dum biryani and beyond, served in an atmosphere that feels like a warm family gathering. The restaurant grew rapidly, earning the ARON Award for Best Indian Restaurant and Best Customer Service at the English Curry Awards 2021. Wali’s journey from Bangladesh to Norfolk is exactly the kind of story this industry is built on , and Spice Valley is exactly the kind of restaurant that makes it worth telling.
Suresh KC
Avatar Dining, Market Harborough | Leicestershire
Suresh arrived in the UK from Nepal in 2002 with a dream and not much else. A decade of long hours across restaurants in Kent and London followed, before he moved to Market Harborough in 2015, took over an existing site, renamed it Avatar Dining, and began building something remarkable. The name, he explains, means ‘reborn’ in Sanskrit , something extraordinary, something new. His menu draws on training in the luxury hotel kitchens of the Taj and Oberoi groups, and delivers Indian and Nepalese cuisine that goes far beyond authenticity. Avatar Dining was named Best Fine Dining Restaurant at the Leicestershire Curry Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Suresh is also a committed supporter of charitable causes in Nepal and community organisations across Leicestershire , because success, he believes, should always give something back.
Pradip Karanjit
Everest Lounge, Loughborough | Leicestershire
Pradip Karanjit brings a perspective to the ambassador role that is genuinely unique in the industry. An NHS executive and entrepreneur, he is the founder of the award-winning Everest Lounge in Loughborough , a restaurant that has become a standout for authentic Nepalese and South Asian cuisine in the East Midlands. Through his dual career in healthcare and hospitality, Pradip has built a reputation for raising standards, championing independent restaurants and celebrating the vital economic and cultural contribution the curry industry makes to communities across the UK.
Jake Colclough
Alessi Indian Restaurant & Bar, Stoke-on-Trent | Staffordshire
Jake Colclough and his co-owner Ash have one of the curry industry’s most compelling origin stories , both started as employees at Alessi before working their way up to owning it. Jake joined at just 16 as a part-time waiter; Ash dedicated himself to the kitchen. Since taking ownership, they have built Alessi into far more than a restaurant: it is a cornerstone of the Audley community, having raised tens of thousands of pounds for local causes and the NHS, with a team that is 50% female and a commitment to bringing young talent into the industry through apprenticeships and training. Their story is a reminder of what hospitality, at its best, can be.
Muhammad Aaban Aamir Ali
Ali's Kitchen, Stoke-on-Trent | Staffordshire
Since opening in March 2022, Ali’s Kitchen Restaurant & Bar in Longton has grown into something that goes well beyond the kitchen. It is a community hub , a place where fundraisers are held, local causes are championed and neighbours come together over great food. Recognised as one of the first open-kitchen concept restaurants in Stoke-on-Trent, Ali’s Kitchen offers diners a unique and transparent experience that puts the skill and passion of its team front and centre. Its owner and chef have received numerous awards for food, service and community contribution, and have built a reputation as one of the most respected and responsible businesses in the area.
Sohel Ahmed
Kolshi Premier Indian Restaurant, Wellesbourne | Warwickshire
When Sohel Ahmed opened Kolshi in Wellesbourne in 2020, he had a clear vision: to be a world away from the traditional curry house. The name itself reflects this , drawn from the Sanskrit for water, nature and food , and the restaurant lives up to every element of it. Beautifully presented dishes, fine local ingredients and a dining environment that feels genuinely special have made Kolshi one of Warwickshire’s most loved independent restaurants. In 2024, that love was formally recognised when Kolshi was named Family Restaurant of the Year at the English Curry Awards , an honour Sohel describes as meaning the world to him and his team.
Vamsi Madireddy & Sagar Barlawar
Chennai Express, Basingstoke | Hampshire
Vamsi Madireddy and his co-founder Sagar Barlawar had a clear-eyed mission when they opened Chennai Express in Basingstoke in November 2018: to bring the authentic flavours of South India to a part of England that had rarely experienced them. Originally from Hyderabad, both founders trained in Catering Technology and Culinary Arts at Osmania University and bring more than 20 years of culinary experience , including careers at the Taj and Oberoi hotel groups , to a restaurant that cooks everything live in an open kitchen, with freshly ground spices and ingredients prepared from scratch. Chennai Express has built a devoted following across Hampshire, and stands as a genuine trailblazer for South Indian cuisine beyond London.
Jilal Uddin
3 Rooms Indian Restaurant, Khyber Pass, Masala Inn & Chai Green | South East England
Jilal Uddin is a restaurateur, entrepreneur and community figure who has spent many years developing and managing restaurant brands across the South East of England , including 3 Rooms Indian Restaurant in Surrey, Khyber Pass in Walton-on-Thames, Masala Inn and Chai Green in Portsmouth. He serves as an Executive Member of the Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA) and is actively involved with charitable organisations in both the UK and abroad, including Dhaka Dakshin Unnayan Sangstha and Golapganj Education Trust. In 2025, he was named winner of the Channel S Live Show Talent Programme in the Online Marketing category , a reflection of his forward-thinking approach to building and promoting the businesses he believes in.
Mokibul Hussain
Mezbaan, Tewkesbury | Gloucestershire
Mokibul Hussain is the proud owner of Mezbaan Restaurant in Tewkesbury, a family-run Indian restaurant serving authentic Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine with a modern touch. Building Mezbaan has been a labour of love, and through hard work, passion, and an unwavering commitment to quality, they have grown into one of the town’s most respected dining destinations.
Over the years, Mezbaan was recognised through the English Curry Awards. Just as importantly, he has made it my mission to give back — supporting local charities, sports clubs, and community events that make Tewkesbury such a special place to call home. Mokibul cares deeply about promoting the UK’s curry industry, raising standards across hospitality, and sharing the rich heritage of South Asian cuisine with everyone who walks through our doors.
A Note from Curry CNCT
England’s curry scene is a tapestry of cultures, generations and stories that deserves to be told at every level , from Bradford’s near-50-year institutions to the South Indian innovators of Hampshire, the Nepalese pioneers of Liverpool and Loughborough, and the community champions of Stoke-on-Trent.
These ambassadors are the beating heart of that story.
We are honoured to welcome them, humbled by their journeys and excited about what this programme will bring , for the industry, for their communities and for every curry lover across England who deserves to know their names.
Welcome to Curry CNCT’s family of ambassadors. This is just the beginning.
To find out more about Curry CNCT’s Ambassador Programme, explore our restaurant directory or read more stories from the curry industry, visit www.curry-cnct.com
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