Bhaji Fresh in Latchford in Asian Restaurant Awards shortlist

Bhaji Fresh has made it into the Best Takeaway category after 100,000 online votes were cast by curry and spicy food lovers.

Judges from the Asian Catering Federation, which hosts the event, are now in the process of visiting all the finalists to determine the overall category winners.

They will be announced at a ceremony and gala dinner in Manchester at the end of August.

The Asian Restaurant Awards cover the complete range of Asian and Oriental cuisines – Bangladeshi, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

And the Bhaji Fresh team have their fingers crossed for another accolade after Abdul Malik was named Chef of the Year at the National Curry Awards 2019.

The Bhaji Fresh team at the National Curry Awards 2019

Under Abdul's guidance, the Knutsford Road takeaway also won an English Curry Award in 2017.

He has been a chef there for more than 10 years and has 'played an integral role cementing the eatery's reputation as the go-to takeaway in the area'.

Yawar Khan, chairman of the Asian Catering Federation which represents 30,000 restaurants, said: “The pandemic has been devastating for many hospitality businesses and its workers.

“These awards will acknowledge the sector’s resilience, innovation and generosity in the face of such adversity.”

The Asian restaurant sector employs more than 100,000 people and contributes more than £5billion to the UK economy.