A popular North East restaurant could be crowned the best in the land in a brand-new BBC Two show – Britain’s Top Takeaways.
My Delhi Indian Streetery which celebrated two national awards last year for Best Street Food Restaurant of the Year is now set to appear in one of eight episodes of the show hosted by Sara Cox alongside comedian Darren Harriot.
Britain’s Top Takeaways will see some of the nation’s top eateries going head-to-head in a showdown that crowns a different winner each episode.
Each stand-alone episode will feature a different takeaway, from Indian to Chinese, Kebabs to Fish and Chips.
Chefs from each eatery then cook up their favourite dishes in a kitchen studio in Manchester that is then delivered to local households who will score and judge that episode’s winner.
Flying the flag for the North East, My Delhi based in Newcastle and soon with a new branch set to open in Sunderland will be making their television debut on Tuesday 10th May at 8pm in the Indian episode.
Also competing for the top takeaway accolade are mother and son duo Paula and Stevie, who run Sabzi in Edinburgh; married couple Swati and Karthikk, who gave up their high-flying careers to start their takeaway business, Curry On Naanstop; mother and daughter Hasmita and Sivani, who run The Indians Next Door in London; and finally chefs Waqar and Mio; who run a Bradford favourite – Sweet Centre Restaurant Indian takeaway – that even Her Majesty the Queen has tried.
The street food favourite was contacted last year to apply for the series and go through an auditioning process.
Elahi Shah Amin, Director of My Delhi who featured in the show alongside Executive Chef Gaurav Dayal, said: “We couldn’t believe it when the producers contacted us last year to appear on the show.
“We introduced our Express Takeaway service during the pandemic to allow our diners to continue to enjoy our delicious authentic Indian food from home.
“For that to then lead to this show is just incredible and big thanks to our diners for all their support. We really enjoyed being part of the show and competing with some fantastic eateries. It was an unforgettable experience.
“It’s going to be a brilliant show and we’re proud to be flying the flag for the North East.”
Contestants were required to curate a menu featuring a classic dish, a chef’s special, a vegan option and sides.
Gaurav Dayal, the executive chef of the chain, said: “For chefs, these moments are an ultimate test of your skills. Even choosing the dishes for the menu that you’re going to present on a national TV show was a challenge in itself.
“In the end, we went with the dishes that our diners love the most, butter chicken, lamb surry and cauliflower Manchurian.
“We never got to see what the households thought of our food so I’m looking forward to watching their reactions for the first time.”
Sara Cox commented: “When I first heard about this show they had me at takeaway! Especially in recent times, the takeaway has become something of an event in our house. We look forward to burgers, noodles, curry – all delicious and delivered to our front door.
“I’m thrilled to be celebrating the takeaway and finding the very best in Britain, and if that means eating all the leftover chips and putting on half a stone, so be it.”
Tune in at 8pm on Tuesday, 10 May 2022 to find out whether My Delhi Indian Steetery is crowned Britain’s Top Takeaway.
