The much-awaited Bradford Curry Awards is back with its fourth edition on 10 July. More than 200 establishments competed for the coveted title to be the Best of the Best 2023, with around 30 making it to the finals, in nine categories, ranging from best restaurant, eatery, caterer and best marketing.
Each day, we hope to introduce you to a finalist, so you can find out more about their food and their journey as a finalist. Shimla Spice has been shortlisted in the eatery category, which aims to profile those establishments who offer simple wholesome food, no glitz. There are four other finalists in this category along with Shimla Spice. Those competing with this restaurant are Lahori Dhaba, Jinnah Saltaire, Sultan and Takdir.
Asian Standard spoke to Faisal Hussain, who runs Shimla Spice.
“We have been in business for 25 years, since 1998. The restaurant was opened by my father and his two brothers, who from a young age, worked in restaurants in multiple places from London to Kent, and then brought in their experience here in Bradford.”
Speaking of the restaurant’s milestones, Faisal says, “In these 25 years, we have won many awards, nationally and internationally. We have had the ‘Best Chef’ award, we have had the ‘Curry King of England’ award. We have carried on a lot of work in these 25 years.”
Speaking of the name, Shimla Spice, Faisal says, “We do Kashmiri cuisine. We went forward with the name Shimla, because it is something different and unique. It wasn’t just your normal household name; it is not named after a person. It is a place in India as well, so that’s how the name came about.”
Speaking about the food varieties served at Shimla Spice, Faisal Hussain said, “We have food from India, we have food from Pakistan, we also do Kashmiri cuisine. Our most popular dish is the ‘Desi Chicken Karahi’, it is more of a homecooked Asian curry, which we present to our customers. It is indeed an extremely popular dish and its widely ordered.”
Like all other restaurants within the hospitality industry, Shimla Spice too had its own sets of challenges, during the pandemic.
Faisal says, “It was challenging. We as a restaurant, offered takeaways. We did well through that period, it was just difficult without our customers coming in. A lot of our customers ordered in take-aways, so we adapted quickly. It was tough, but we adapted through.”
Speaking about what would winning the ‘Best Eatery’ mean for Shimla Spice, Faisal says, “It would mean a lot, because we have been in Bradford for a long time, the location of our restaurant is such that we serve both Leeds and Bradford, so it will be a recognition for us among the customers if we win it.”
Continuing, on what sets Shimla Spice apart from other curry eateries, Faisal says, “We serve authentic, home cooked foods. We have been a part of the team that won Bradford its title of Curry Capital six times in a row for all six years. So we played, a key role in Bradford winning the curry capital title”.
Will Shimla Spice, stand the wave of tough competition and emerge as Bradford’s best curry eatery? We must wait until 10 July. Stay tuned to www.bradfordcurryawards.co.uk.
