Leicestershire Curry Awards 2025 finalists revealed

The finalists for the 9th annual Leicestershire Curry Awards were unveiled last night (Monday 21 July) during a sparkling ceremony at Leicester’s Athena venue.

Some of the region’s top chefs, restaurateurs, and food lovers were in attendance for the reveal ceremony, hosted by local events expert Priti Raichura and covered live by BBC Radio Leicester.

All the nominations came from members of the public, with more than 18,000 votes received, an increase of 35% from last year. This event was a key milestone on the road to the grand final, which takes place on Monday 15 September, also at the Athena.

Announced by Nikhil Wadhwa from Cobra Beer

• Royal Leicester’s
• The Owl & Pussycat
• Naseeb @ The Clowes
• Gurkha Curry, Leicester
• Sports Lounge, Oadby

“It’s a privilege to be part of this,” said Jas Dhami of Naseeb @ The Clowes. “Thank you to the Leicestershire Curry Awards for providing a platform for us to be recognised. This is actually the first time we’ve taken part, and to be a finalist is a huge honour.”

Announced by Sophie Cook from BBC Leicester

• Chatwala
• Desi Street Food
• Jai Somnath Taste of India
• My Delhi – Leicester

“Everyone in this room is a winner, but to be recognised as a finalist is just the icing on the cake,” said Gaurav Goyal of My Delhi. “I dedicate this recognition to the entire restaurant industry, which is under a lot of pressure at the moment. This will lift the spirits of the hardworking teams who keep pushing to survive. Thank you to the Leicestershire Curry Awards.”

Announced by Nisha Goyal, South Asia Growth Manager (UK) at Lemfi

• Satya Restaurant
• Aylestone Spice
• Anika Balti
• Hot Potato Shop
• Currylicious, Shepshed

Announced by Ross Tarbard from Visit Leicester

• Udupi Shivalli
• Sharmilee
• Tangoe Restaurant
• Chatwala
• Tulsi Sweetmart and Restaurant

Announced by Leicestershire Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Michaela Kerr

• Indian Vojon
• Heritage India
• Soi Indian Restaurant (Melton Mowbray)
• Avatar Dining (Market Harborough)
• Amrut Leicester
• Chutney Ivy

“These awards are always a real highlight for us. We’re really pleased to be here and to be recognised once more,” said Prem Alemagar of Heritage India. “We’re looking forward to the finals in September!”

Announced by Bob Gill, Head of Branch at John Lewis Leicester

• Amrut Leicester
• The Cue Club
• Tulsi Sweetmart and Restaurant
• Regent Grill Asilo, Hinckley
• Avatar Dining, Lutterworth
• Chef’s Flavour, Glenfield

Announced by BBC Leicester’s Kevin Ncube, standing in for Vijay Sharma from the University of Leicester

• Spice of India
• Chutney Ivy
• Avatar Dining (Market Harborough)
• Sharmilee
• Chef’s Flavour (Glenfield)
• Indian Fusion – Markfield

“These awards aren’t just a proud moment for us — they’re a real celebration for our customers too. They absolutely love it!” said Mohbub Uddin of Indian Fusion. “We’re based in a small village in Leicestershire, and in many ways, we’ve helped put Markfield on the map. It’s great for business and always creates a real buzz!”

There are just under two months to go until the Leicestershire Curry Awards, also being held at the Athena Leicester. As Leicester also enters its second year as England Curry Capital, the eyes of the country’s South Asian culinary community are firmly on the city where Indian restaurants make a massive contribution to the economy. In fact, across the UK, Indian Restaurants are worth £4.3 billion to the British economy.

We will bring you all the highlights from the Curry Awards in September. You can find all the details here.