AN Indian restaurant in Looe has been named the best in the county at the National Curry Awards.

The best of the best in the world of Indian cuisine came together recently to celebrate the National Curry Awards (NCA) 2025. The event awarded and celebrated the UK’s curry house heroes for their hard work and contributions to culinary prowess and cultural heritage at their sixth annual ceremony hosted at the House of Lords.

The award ceremony took place on Monday, October 20, and was attended by special guests including: The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg; Andy MacNae MP; Warinder Jess MP; Anna Gelderd MP and The Lord Mayor’s Consort, Councillor Maggie Carman. This is in addition to representatives within the business as well as restaurant owners, their staff and families from all over the UK.

Created in 2019, the National Curry Awards was created in order to promote the businesses within the Asian catering industry and to recognise their talented and hard-working staff at both the forefront and in the background to keep the industry productive. Entries from all over the UK are warmly welcome as the NCA delights in celebrating the pillars of the industry. The award winners represent some of the highest quality service achieved through dedication to creating consistently excellent cuisine and customer service.

However, despite facing some of the best in the business, it was Chennai Indian Fusion, based in Looe, which took home the one of the top prizes, being named as Cornwall’s best restaurant for 2025, serving up wonderful flavours, loved by locals and visitors to the Cornish coastal town.

Despite experiencing a decline, the Asian catering industry is valued at approximately £5-billion, and employs between 80,000 to 100,000 workers.

Appreciating the contributions to the rich tapestry of the UK’s curry and Asian catering industries, the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg stated: “I want to congratulate everyone, all of today’s winners. The hospitality you provide in every city, every town and every village is superb… Curry gives so much enjoyment to so many people all over the country. Well done to everybody for carrying on wonderful traditions and provisioning us with so much enjoyment every week of the year.”

Event director, Abdul Ahad Chowdhury, said: “This is the sixth National Curry awards and all have been hosted here [The House of Lords]. It's a prestigious event and every restaurant deserves to be recognised properly. I believe the restaurant sector has a good future, as it allows people to be their own boss, and holding the awards here will help to inspire younger generations.”

The industry decline has been primarily attributed to a shortage of skilled workers and a lack of investment in training these workers. Subsequently, the National Curry Awards is seeking to further encourage current and future generations to become more inspired and involved within this industry again.

With such a notable win, South East Cornwall’s next generation of chefs has big shoes to fill!