Curry lovers can get ready for an electrifying experience as the highly successful Bradford Curry Mela makes its much-anticipated return alongside the annual Bradford Curry Awards for 2023! Brace yourself for a thrilling 3-day extravaganza that promises to take your taste buds on an unforgettable journey.
Building on its previous triumphs, the Bradford Curry Awards, now in their fourth year, are ready to raise the bar even higher. Prepare for a sizzling competition as the curry capital outdoes itself, serving up more heat and excitement than ever before. The glamorous awards night will be an unforgettable fusion of entertainment, delectable cuisine, and joyous celebration. And, of course, the momentous announcement of the winners of 2023 will be the highlight of the evening. But that’s not all! Leading up to the prestigious awards is the eagerly anticipated 2-day Bradford Curry Mela, a heaven for all curry enthusiasts and connoisseurs.
Mark your calendars, because this unique event is a true celebration of everything curry. From aromatic spices to engaging workshops and masterclasses conducted by trailblazing chefs, from tantalizing food stalls to a rich display of heritage and culture, the Bradford Curry Mela is a sensory delight. Prepare to immerse yourself in a captivating blend of sights, smells, sounds, and flavours that will leave you craving for more. Here’s everything you need to know about the Asian Standard in association with Uber Eats Bradford Curry Awards & Mela.
Bradford Curry Awards
The Bradford Curry Awards are now in their fourth year and have been experiencing impressive growth with each passing year. Since their inception, the awards have made history by bringing together the city’s curry industry under one roof for the first time in 2018 to celebrate the industry’s staggering half-a-billion-pound success.
After a challenging period during 2020 and 2021, surviving the pandemic, the return of the Bradford Curry Awards in 2022 was a much-needed boost of hope and energy for an industry that was getting back on its feet. Today, the awards are perhaps the most highly anticipated celebration in the region’s calendar, serving as a beacon of optimism for all those who have a passion for the finest cuisine and culinary traditions that Bradford has to offer.
The prestigious annual awards night brings together the crème-de-la-crème of Bradford’s curry industry, celebrating the city’s vibrant Asian culture and the culinary craftsmanship that goes into making Bradford, Britain’s curry capital, one of the UK’s most treasured curry destinations. From recognising the best restaurants, to the best dishes, the BCA also aims to recognise the people who work hard behind the scenes, such as the chefs, who ensure we are served with the most amazing palette of food. The glitzy evening will certainly be rolling out the red carpet, with entertainment, inspirational speakers, comedy and a delicious four course meal. Above all it’s the only space where you will find the entire Bradford curry industry under one roof and get a chance to meet decision makers, business leaders, politicians and community leaders.
Like every year the public will be invited to nominate their favourite curry establishments from 25 May closing on 15 June 2023. Once nominations close, categories will be short listed by largest number of votes, and then passed to a panel of judges to choose the final winner. The Best Restaurant Public choice however will go back online for the public to vote their favourite. The one with the most votes will win this category.
Judges will be announced after judging is completed.
This year organisers have announced a new category for Best Eatery.
Founder Fatima Patel said: “We’ve decided to introduce the Best Eatery for those establishments who perhaps don’t have the fancy jazz and décor to increase marks when impressing judges but do have exceptional food and real authentic cooking talent. This is therefore a category created specifically for those establishments.”
The categories for 2023 are:
BEST RESTAURANT – PEOPLE’S CHOICE
BEST RESTAURANT – JUDGES CHOICE
BEST EATERY
BEST TAKEAWAY
MOST CHARITABLE
BEST OUTDOOR CATERER
BEST DISH
BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN
CHEF OF THE YEAR
The fourth annual awards will be taking place at Bradford Hotel, Hall Ings, Bradford on Monday 10 July.
Bradford Curry Mela
There is no doubt in our minds that Bradford does the best curry and so what better way to showcase the rich, vibrant, fusion of one of Britain’s most favourite dishes than over a two-day extravaganza. The inaugural Bradford Mela took place at Bradford City Park, Centenary Square, during the sizzling month of July in 2022. Thousands attended soaking up sights, sounds and smells. The Curry Mela returns for the second year, in larger grounds at the award-winning Lister Park taking place on 8 & 9 July.
Visitors can expect a fun weekend, which will include live music, entertainment, games, live cooking demonstrations, masterclasses from top chefs such as Prashad’s Minal Patel, the British Army’s Sgt Kaur MBE, Akbars Shabir Hussain and more.
So whether you want your children to enjoy roti making, decorating clay pots, face painting, to seeing how many gol gappay you can eat in a minute, to watching live and sampling exquisite culinary delights, along with an opportunity to buy an array of delectable curries with Punjabi, Kashmiri, Gujarati, or Bengali flavours, the curry mela promises to be a treat for all.
A spokesperson from Saveco Supermarket who have returned as the official supermarket sponsor said: “Last year we received such great feedback that we had to get on board again, especially now that it’s planned to be bigger and at the award-winning Lister Park. We are really excited to be partnering up and can’t wait to put our produce on display. Do come and find us”.
Along with SaveCo, leading food delivery platform have also decided to continue their partnership with the Bradford Curry Awards & Mela, by becoming headline sponsors again for the second year.
West Yorkshire Sales Executive for Uber Eats Mohammed Ali said: “The Bradford Curry Awards & Mela is a great opportunity for us to engage with our customers and clients. We are delighted to be partnering up for the awards and mela again and can’t wait to experience the 3-day extravaganza.”
The Curry Mela opens on Saturday 8 July at 12 noon and will end on Sunday 9 July at 7pm.
For stall enquiries email hello@bradfordcurryawards.co.uk for ticket enquiries visit www.bradfordcurryawards.co.uk
