A CHEF from Bridgwater was voted the best curry chef in the UK at the 2014 Curry Chef of the Year Awards.

Chef Mohammed Miah, head chef at the Spice Club in Eastover, was one of 33 chefs to receive official recognition for their contribution to an industry worth more than £4.2billion a year at the awards ceremony at the Lancaster Hotel, London.

Chef Mohammed said: “To win this title is the greatest vote of confidence I could wish for, not just for myself but for my team who work so hard to make things happen at the Spice Club.

“We were surprised and very honoured when we learned that we had won and would just like to thank all the customers who have come through our door over the last nine years.

“It is those customers that have nominated us – we’re very grateful to them and we’ll make sure that we keep improving for them.”

Guests at the event included Employment Minister Esther McVey, MP Keith Vaz and former Secretary of State for Health, Frank Dobson.

Ms McVey said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy and it was great to celebrate the success of so many of those who are experts in their field at the curry life magazine awards. The Government is committed to supporting businesses that want to grow and expand.

Congratulations to the deserving winners.”

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, applauded the curry chefs for producing the best quality curries in Great Britain.

He also paid tribute to the organisers, Curry Life, for their promotion of the curry industry over a decade and setting up the benchmark to promote the best talented chefs.

Syed Belal Ahmed, editor of Curry Life Magazine, said: “It was a fantastic evening and a great way to recognise and celebrate the skills and talents of our curry industry. Events like this illustrate the strength of our love as a nation for curry. I would like to congratulate the much-deserving winners of this year’s awards.”