A NEWTON Abbot restaurant and takeaway has scooped a prestigious national award, recognising its commitment to serving authentic Bangladeshi and Indian cuisine.

Queen Street’s Bollywood Spice was named ‘Curry House of Year’ at this year’s National Curry Awards, following a ceremony held at the House of Lords in October.

Owner Monjur Hossain, pictured, said he was delighted to have received national recognition after nine years of running the business.

‘It is a great achievement. It is amazing. I am very excited about it’, he told the Mid-Devon Advertiser.

‘I was the only one nominated from the South West, so being shortlisted and then winning is fantastic’.

Monjur said his restaurant’s commitment to fresh ingredients and authentic cooking had helped it stand out.

‘We make our food as authentic as possible. We are an Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant’, he said.

‘We make everything fresh, after the order comes in. We don’t do anything pre-cooked or keep food sitting on a hot plate.

‘Our food is the most authentic in the area - it is on a different level’, he added.

The awards’ judging process considered health and hygiene reports, online reviews and customer feedback, alongside an anonymous visit to Bollywood Spice.

Monjur established the business in January 2018 and said he was excited to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

The award has taken pride of place at the Queen Street restaurant, with Monjur having put up the award for his customers to see.

Established in 2019, the National Curry Awards aim to promote businesses within the Asian catering industry and recognise the hard work of staff - front of house and behind the scenes alike.

The seventh annual ceremony took place on Monday, October 19, and was attended by special guests including Lord Mayor of Westminster, councillor Karen Scarborough, and Martin Wrigley MP.

Event director Adbul Ahad Chowdhury said the awards provided an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of restaurants across the industry and ensure their achievements received the recognition they deserved.