Now here’s something we can all get behind and help celebrate (hopefully), and an excellent way to help inject some much needed income into the hard pressed hospitality sector.
Enam Ali MBE (founder of the British Curry Awards and Le Raj Restaurant) and the team behind Spice Business Magazine have launched the inaugural British Curry Day for 3rd December, timed to coincide with the end of the 2nd national lockdown. If the rumours are correct and the 3 Tier system is re-introduced, then your favourite local curry house should be back open from then on.
British Curry Day Background
British Curry Day will provide a focus to celebrate the easing of the Covid-19 lockdown in England, encouraging spice lovers to eat out, order a takeaway, or host a dinner party with friends and family, in accordance with relaxed government regulations.
It is also intended to commemorate the early ‘curry pioneers’, who came to Britain in the 1960s and ‘70s and created the unique fusion that is the great British Curry.
Enam Ali commented “Tragically we are losing many of the country’s first curry restaurateurs, who are now elderly with severe underlying health issues, to the pandemic. These people came to a strange foreign land at the invitation of the British government and through their own endeavours and willingness to work anti -social hours – often enduring blatant racism from post pub closing time drunks – built a special industry, which is now an integral part of British society.”
Back the Bhaji
With the hope that this will become an annual charity fundraising event, the theme of this year’s British Curry Day is ‘Back the Bhaji’, with many restaurants donating to charities for each one sold.
Alternatively, curry lovers are encouraged to stay home and meet friends and family they have not been able to see for weeks and months, to celebrate the end of lockdown, with a socially responsible meal. The British Curry Day website www.britishcurryday.org has suggested recipes from top chefs and celebrity cooks.
Commenting further Mr Ali said “The onion bhaji is one of numerous items on British curry house menus not found on the Indian subcontinent,” said Ali, who eschews the debate of what constitutes “authentic” cuisine.
Enam maintains that India has a rich and diverse culinary heritage which has developed over the centuries, absorbing foreign influences from the Greeks, Persians, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and British.
“Recipes and cooking techniques aren’t frozen in time – they evolve – British Curry Day is about celebrating our contribution to the British way of life,”
How You Can Help
For those wishing to be involved with British Curry Day, details are available online. Participants are encouraged to share their contributions on social media using the #BritishCurryDay and #BackTheBhaji hash tags, with competition prizes for the most innovative.
The British Curry Day website is at www.britishcurryday.org
