Glasgow crowned Curry Capital of Britain

Organisers said splitting the top five was very difficult but they added that Glasgow had won because of its restaurants’ “excessive enthusiasm”.

Mood Food Magazine’s Peter Grove said: “It was very very tight in terms of food but in the end it was down to the fantastic efforts of the restaurants in Glasgow.

“They raised plenty of money for charity and even made curry pies to sell at the city’s football grounds.”

Disappointed at Leicester at not making it,Syed Rahman,who runs Cuisine of India,said,”It’s very disappointing for us because I strongly believe that Leicester offers the best quality food ahead of any other city.”

Foyzur Chowdhury,another restaurant owner,said,”It’s a shame but I still think Leicester is a very good place to come for a curry. It is the best. I have worked in Manchester,Leeds and Birmingham but we are still the best city.”

In Bradford,which came second,restaurant owners insisted that Bradford made the best Indian food in Britain.

“There’s no curry in UK like in Bradford,the best curries are here. We’re still the best in England. I think Bradford still is the curry capital. Next year we have got a definite chance,” Faisal Hussain,a manager at ‘Shimla Spice’,said.

Mohammed Aslam,executive chef and managing director of the Aagrah group of restaurants,said: “Britain’s passion with spicy Asian food has reached a new high and when it comes to curries,Bradford is the culinary hot spot for the country.”

Birmingham,famed for its ‘Balti Triangle’,finished fifth in the race.

The competition ran for the first time since 2007 as part of National Curry Week and judged restaurants on a variety of criteria.

The standards of the food and service at each place was assessed as well as levels of cleanliness.

Each council also submitted reasons as to why their city should win the title.