A St Albans restaurant has won a major accolade in the nationwide "Curry Oscars".

Chez Mumtaz, based in London Road, St Albans, was crowned Best Restaurant in the South East at the 17th annual British Curry Awards, which took place at a prestigious ceremony at Battersea Evolution.

Chad Rahman, chef proprietor of Chez Mumtaz, said: "I am deeply honoured and humbled for Chez Mumtaj Restaurant to be the recipient of this prestigious award.

"The British Curry Awards encapsulates the true essence of multiculturalism here in Britain, and curry has firmly manifested itself in the great British way of life.

"This award is the highest accolade we in the curry industry can aspire to, and we view it as a nationwide affirmation that places St Albans firmly on the curry map.

"It also represents the culmination of the love and efforts of my family, staff and residents of St Albans and Hertfordshire. I give salute to the unwavering dedication of my staff and their families who have kept Chez Mumtaj open for business during such unprecedented times.

"We have been incredibly touched by the spirit and affection of the residents of St Albans who have consistently shown us their support and kept us all going throughout this difficult time. Thank you for keeping us in your hearts, we are very excited and extremely proud to bring this prestigious trophy home to St Albans."

This year’s ceremony had particular significance given the challenges faced by the industry over the past 18 months of the pandemic, and acknowledged the industry’s spirit and resilience through difficult business and personal circumstances.

Speaking at the event, awards founder Enam Ali MBE said: “What a year we have had – full of highs and lows as we have come out of the pandemic and had to try and rebuild our businesses after lockdowns. The support of our customers has been incredible but the challenges are still significant.

"At the British Curry Awards we have always stood up for the causes that matter to the industry. We are all now benefitting from the so-called vindaloo visa which has helped address the chef shortage problem. We will always fight your corner. And the Government does listen to us."