Winners Announced
2026 Asian Restaurant Awards
International
At a glittering gala dinner in Manchester on Monday 7th September, the winners of the 10th International Asian Restaurant Awards, were announced.
Organised by the Asian Catering Federation, these awards recognise the industry’s outstanding culinary excellence, innovation, sumptuous creativity and hard work.
There were just 27 winners out of a whopping 160 + restaurants, groups and takeaways nominated. The winners covered the entire range of Asian cuisines and were chosen by a prestigious panel of judges consisting of highly experienced catering professionals, and experts from the catering industry and commerce.
The awards were presented by Councillor Shaukat Ali – Lord Mayor of Manchester, Mohammad Jobayed Hosen – Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Afzal Khan – MP for Manchester Rusholme, Cllr Abdul Jabbar MBE – Deputy Leader of Oldham Council, Alderman Denise Laver – Lord Baron and many officials from the Federation’s supporters including Cobra, Kingfisher Beer, Work Permit Cloud and PayTap. This year’s entertainment was provided by Bollywood singers Rubayyat Jahan and Raja Kaasheff, with dancing from the Angel Dancers and others.
Hosted by broadcast journalist and BBC TV News anchor Samantha Simmonds, with a guest appearance from Anisa Khan, owner of Bombay Pizza and finalist in the BBC flagship programme The Apprentice 2025, the awards presented included:
- Chef of the Year awarded to Md Gulam Kibria of Shabar Restaurant in Birmingham
- Kings of Curry awarded to Akbar’s Group based in Bradford
- The National Award for Asian Restaurant of the Year 2026 awarded to Madhu’s of Mayfair in London
- New for 2026 – Asian Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant of the Year won by Meat Free Planet in Wolverhampton
- Best Asian Restaurant in Wales 2026 awarded to SeaView Indian Restaurant in Caernarfon.
Chair of the Asian Catering Federation Yawar Khan said:
Each year, at the Asian Restaurant Awards International in Manchester, we celebrate excellence in international cuisine, and this year’s winners truly deserve their places as best in the country. These are the businesses that make the Asian food industry continue to thrive, despite the many challenges faced by this sector. On behalf of the Asian Catering Federation I would like to sincerely congratulate them all.”
10th Asian Restaurant Awards International 2026 - Winners List
Special Awards went to:
Kings of Curry
Akbar’s Group, Bradford
Chef of the Year
Md Gulam Kibria, Shabar Restaurant, Birmingham
National Asian Restaurant of the Year Award 2026:
Asian Restaurant of the Year (NATIONAL)
Madhu’s of Mayfair, London
Regional Awards for Asian Restaurant of the Year 2026 went to:
Asian Restaurant of the Year (North of England)
Lala’s, Leeds and Bradford
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(NORTH EAST OF ENGLAND)
Yuvraaj, Sunderland
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(NORTH WEST OF ENGLAND)
Kebabish Original, Blackburn
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(WALES)
Seaview Indian Restaurant, Caernarfon
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(WARWICKSHIRE)
The Royal Bengal, Coventry
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(OTLEY)
Westbourne Spice, Otley
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(BIRMINGHAM)
Akbars, Birmingham
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(GREATER MANCHESTER)
EastZEast Riverside, Manchester
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(MANCHESTER)
TYGA, Manchester
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(BEST IN HUDDERSFIELD)
Lala’s, Huddersfield
Asian Restaurant of the Year
(BEST IN BRADFORD)
International, Bradford
National Awards for the best speciality cuisine and restaurant type went to:
Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurant of the Year
Meat Free Planet, Wolverhampton
Asian Buffet Restaurant of the Year
Panda Mami, Lincoln, Chester and York
Indian Buffet Restaurant of the Year
The Palm Buffet, Oldham
Asian Restaurant of the Year
Indian Rooster, Loughborough
Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year
Wunder Crumble, Bradford
Asian Fusion Restaurant of the Year
Sizzlerz, Preston
Regional Awards for speciality cuisine and restaurant type 2026 went to:
Takeaway of the Year
(NORTH EAST OF ENGLAND)
Balti Hut, Middlesbrough
Thai Restaurant of the Year
(EAST OF ENGLAND)
Bamboo Sky, Cambridge
Asian Restaurant of Year
(MIDLANDS)
Calcutta Club, Nottingham
Chinese and Thai Restaurant of the Year
(North West of England)
The Zen Restaurant, Lytham St Anne’s
For more information on the Asian Catering Federation’s Asian Restaurant Awards 2026, please contact Emma at Public Image PR emma@publicimagepr.co.uk
07977134614
Notes to Editors:
Other Asian Catering Federation Awards 2026:
SCOTLAND
Monday 21st September – 10th Asian Restaurant Awards Scotland, Crowne Plaza in Glasgow, G3 8QT
https://asianrestaurantawards.org/scotland/
NATIONAL
Sunday 15th November – 16th Asian Curry Awards, Grosvenor House, Mayfair in London, W1K 7TN on Sunday 15th November 2026.
https://www.asiancurryawards.com/
SPONSORS
The Asian Catering Federation’s International Restaurant Awards are presented in partnership by Work Permit Cloud Ltd., Cobra Beer, Kingfisher Beer, Bombay Pizza, Square Mile Insurance Services, and MSCO (Mohammad Shah & Co LLP Chartered Accountants). The event is supported by Booker Wholesale.
Asian Catering Federation
The Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which represents the nation’s 35,000 Asian and Oriental restaurants organises the only awards open to all Asian cuisines: Bangladeshi, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Nepalese, Pakistani, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.
The ACF strives to deliver real returns for its members within the Asian catering industry, helping them to find financial success, achieve excellence, and build customer loyalty.
It aims to unite Asian caterers on one platform and works closely with the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers UK, the Chinese Takeaway Association UK, and the Malaysian Restaurant Association. The Federation campaigns for greater recognition for the sector, and works to achieve its members’ common goals through partnerships with government and other organisations; providing help with training, and creating rewarding careers in Asian catering.
The sector employs over 100,000 people and contributes more than £7.5 billion to the UK economy.
PRESENTER
Samantha Simmonds is a journalist and broadcaster with more than 20 years at the forefront of the news. She is currently presenting on the BBC, covering all the main programmes for BBC World News including the agenda setting “The Briefing” news and business programme on BBC 1 and Business Live on the BBC News Channel.
Anisa Khan founded Bombay Pizza in South London five years ago aged just 22. Her stand-out leadership skills and commercial mindset, earned her a place in the final of this year’s BBC flagship show The Apprentice and a five-star review by Mike Soutar one of Lord Sugar’s trusted aides.
www.bombaypizza.co.uk
Photos available upon request.
W: www.acfederation.org www.asianrestaurantawards.org
Tw: @AsianRestAward @AsianCatFed