Belfoi from Carmarthen Won Wales - Restaurant of the Year ARTA 2023 Award

8TH OCTOBER 2023

Belfoi from Carmarthen Won Wales - Restaurant of the Year ARTA 2023 Award

Winners of the annual Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (ARTA) 2023 have finally been announced where, Belfoi was crowned the coveted title of "Wales - Restaurant of the Year". The award ceremony took place this weekend on 8th October at London Hilton on Park Lane.

The Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards is the most prestigious celebration of Pan Asian cuisine in the UK, honouring Asian restaurants all over the UK. ARTA 2023 welcomed a guest list consisting of the nation's most respected curry restaurateurs alongside MPs, dignitaries and celebrities as they collectively honoured the achievements of the Asian culinary industry. The event was attended by the President of CBI Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, Honourable Minister for Tech & the Digital Economy Paul Scully MP, Founder of Silver Star Diabetes International Keith Vaz, Former British Ambassador HE Anwar Choudhury, President of EBFCI Dr. Wali Tasar Uddin MBE, CEO of NTV Subrina Hossain, CEO of ATN Bangla UK Hafiz Alam Bakhsh, and former Miss Universe Great Britain Emma Rose Collingridge among others.

The ceremony was hosted by TV presenters Samantha Simmonds and Paul Martin. Interspersing the awards presentation was a curated world-class entertainment, including a performance by singer Kavya Limaye and Ujaan Mukherjee.

After a rigorous process that includes criteria such as customer nominations, aggregated review scores, food hygiene ratings, and assessment of a panel of judges- Belfoi eventually won the prestigious " Wales - Restaurant of the Year ".

At the event, ARTA founder Mohammed Munim said, "I would like to congratulate all of the winners and finalists of ARTA 2023 - the Pan Asian restaurants, takeaways, and chefs who are the pride of the UK's hospitality industry. As the first and foremost award ceremony to honour the finest of the UK's Asian restaurant and takeaway industry, we salute your resilience and fortitude as you continue to serve diners and customers across the UK in particularly challenging circumstances. I would like to thank Lords, Ministers, High Commissioners, dignitaries, and guests for joining us on this occasion.

The UK's popular Asian restaurant industry, synonymous with taking operational and business challenges such as staff shortages and the Covid pandemic head on, now faces a new set of challenges - the current cost of living crisis. The cost of supplies, ingredients, and energy have risen significantly while customers are also facing tightened household budgets. In this tough situation, ARTA once again honours the UK's best Asian restaurants and takeaways who continue to deliver the best in restaurant and home dining in these challenging circumstances. ARTA recognises this industry, which is the result and displays the successes of multiculturalism in the UK."

Paul Scully, who serves as the Minister of London and the Minister of Technology, mentioned ARTA as "World Cup of The Curry Awards".

Former British High Commissioner, Ambassador and Governor HE Anwar Choudhury said that ARTA is- "A wonderful Event—one of its kind. ARTA celebrates the achievements of the spectrum of Asian cuisine. This year included awards for Japanese, Korean, Sri Lankan and of course the British Curry. Congratulations to ARTA and its innovative founder Salik.'