BEST IN BRITAIN AWARDS 2004
(7 June 2004)

The twelfth annual Best In Britain Awards (BIBA's), organised by The Real Curry Restaurant Guide and Menu Magazine, were held at The Bonnington Hotel in London on 7 June 2004 and attended by top restaurateurs from all over the country. The nominations list of 100 restaurant voted by the public had already been announced and restaurateurs gathered to discover which ones would be in the all-important Top Thirty and who would win the coveted individual awards.

Organisers of the Best in Britain Awards 2004 (BIBA), dubbed as "the Oscars of the Indian restaurant industry", spoke today of how customer recommendations from Kiplings in Bradford cause their email to overload this year. Early winners were Mohammed Aslam's Aagrah in Shipley, a regular winner, and Ejas' Nawaab in Bradford which first won a BIBA in 1996.

Industry Personality of the Year 2004 went to Sanjay Anand of Madhu's in Southall and Restaurant Personality of the Year to top chef Cyrus Todiwala MBE of Cafe Spice Namaste. There were shouts of joy from the Bradford camp when Mohammed Rafiqe's Kiplings in Greengates was announced as the Kingfisher Customer's Restaurant of the Year based on a huge number of votes and Raf was quickly back again for the Grove Award for Charity for the tremendous efforts for charity by Kiplings customers. Peter Grove said, " With Bradford winning Kingfisher Curry Capital of the Year and three of the four team restaurants appearing in the national BIBA awards, the city has made a real impression national on the industry this year."

BIBA TOP THIRTY

The Bombay Brasserie coupled with Quilon - London : Spice Route - Windsor : Jaipur - Milton Keynes : Kanchans - Gants Hill : Tamasha - Bromley : Indian Ocean - Ashton under Lyne : Curry Fever - Leicester : Cafe Spice Namaste - London E1 : Bengal Clipper - London SE1 : Cinnamon Club - London SW1 : Cafe Lazeez - London SW7 : Chutney Mary coupled with Veeraswamy - London : Sarkhel's - London : Benares - London W1 : Gaylord - London W1 : La Porte des Indes - London W1 : Tamarind - London W1 : Bombay Palace - London W1 : Brilliant - Southall : Saffron - Oxford : Britannia Spice - Edinburgh : Cafe India coupled with Creme de la Creme - Glasgow : Thornbury Hall Rasoi - Kingsley Holt : Last Days of the Raj - Gateshead : Cafe Naz - Cardiff : Juboraj - Cardiff : Bengal Dynasty - Wales : Rajdoot - Birmingham : Nawaab - Bradford : Aagrah - Shipley.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS 2004

• BIBA Group of the Year : The Blue Elephant Group (La Porte des Indes & Blue Elephant - London)
• Industry Personality of the Year : Sanjay Anand - Madhu's Southall.
• Restaurant Personality of the Year : Cyrus Todiwala MBE - Cafe Spice Namaste London.
• Front of House Award : Sherin Alexander-Mody - La Portes des Indes London.
• The Grove Award for Charity : Mohammed Rafiqe - Kiplings Bradford.
• Customers Restaurant of the Year sponsored by Kingfisher : Kiplings of Bradford.
• Winelist of the Year : Cafe India - Glasgow.
• Website of the Year : Haandi - London.
• Biryani Recipe of the Year : Puneet Arora - Noon Foods ; Runner-Up Manzoor Ahmed - Tabaq
• Newcomer of the Year : Mint Leaf London SW1.