Three Staffordshire Restaurants Celebrate Success at National Curry Life Awards 2026

Restaurants in Leek and Newcastle-under-Lyme have earned national recognition at the Curry Life Awards 2026, with two Editor’s Choice honours and a Best Chef of the Year award celebrating Staffordshire’s thriving Indian food scene.

Three restaurants in Leek and Newcastle-under-Lyme are giving local diners something to celebrate after earning recognition at the Curry Life Awards 2026, the leading national awards scheme for Britain’s curry industry.

Monsoon Majestic Indian Dining in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Chennai Indian Cuisine in Leek each received an Editor’s Choice award, while Abdul Malik of Saffron in Leek was named Best Chef of the Year. Together, the wins recognise the cooking, personal service and hard work behind three local restaurants.

The three winners were honoured at a glittering ceremony at the InterContinental London Park Lane on Sunday 4th October, hosted by BBC presenters and journalists Jon Kay and Luxmy Gopal.

Now in its 17th edition, the prestigious national awards brought together more than 500 guests, including MPs, British Asian entrepreneurs and hospitality professionals, for an evening celebrating excellence, innovation and entrepreneurship across Britain’s curry industry.

For the owners and teams, the awards are also an opportunity to thank the customers who have supported them, from regulars returning for their favourite dishes to diners discovering something new.

Monsoon Majestic Indian Dining, Newcastle-under-Lyme

At Monsoon Majestic on George Street, Jawad Ahmed works alongside his father, owner Juned Ahmed. Six years after opening, the family-run restaurant combines traditional cooking with a contemporary setting and a focus on personal service.

“I would like to thank our loyal customers and the dedicated team who have worked alongside the family over the past six years,” said Jawad.

Chef Kamal’s menu draws on decades of experience and regional recipes from across the Indian subcontinent. Dishes include Haryali Chingri, combining king prawns with spinach, fresh mint, coriander, green chillies, ginger and garlic, and Nawabi Chicken Tikka. “Customers come here and say, 'What’s this dish? I’ve never heard of this one before,'” says Jawad. “We’ve got a lot of variety.”

Chennai Indian Cuisine, Leek

In Leek, Chennai Indian Cuisine’s Editor’s Choice award comes three years after co-owner Ashraf Miah set out to create a restaurant that looked as good as its food. He designed much of the High Street venue himself, creating an open, contemporary setting for a menu that pairs traditional favourites with house specialities.

Ashraf says he is “over the moon” to receive the award.

“I would like to thank the staff who work in Chennai, all the people behind it and all the customers who have supported us through this journey.”

Seafood is a particular strength at Chennai, with dishes including Haryali Chingri and Salmon Masala. For Ashraf, the welcome matters just as much: staff take time to explain the menu, answer questions and get to know their guests.

Saffron, Leek, Best Chef of the Year

Ashraf also owns Saffron on Cross Street Mill, where chef Abdul Malik’s Best Chef of the Year award recognises more than 30 years’ experience in Staffordshire and beyond. Abdul has worked with Ashraf for around 15 years and creates around 90% of Saffron’s menu, according to restaurant manager Asman Khan.

Asman describes the award as “a welcome recognition not only of the food he creates, but the leadership, creativity and generosity he brings to the kitchen every day.”

Among Abdul’s recommendations is Saffron Nimbu Murgh, chicken breast cooked in a sweet creamy sauce with lemon zest, lemongrass, curry leaf and seasonal peppers. Other dishes include Nepalese Chicken and Chicken Shashlick Bhuna.

Celebrating Britain's Curry Industry

Curry Life Editor Syed Belal Ahmed said:

“The UK's curry industry features some of the country's most inspiring businesspeople and restaurateurs. We are delighted to give them a national platform from which to shout about their hard-won achievements so that they can continue to thrive.”

For diners in Leek and Newcastle-under-Lyme, the three wins offer a reason to celebrate the talent on their doorstep and explore the food these local teams bring to the table.

The Curry Life Awards 2026 are sponsored by Cobra Beer, Work Permit Cloud, Mealgo and Hillside Travels.

Why the Signal exists

Real news takes time. Thanks for taking yours.

You've just read a story that took time to get right. No clickbait, no racing to be first, no ads chasing you down the page.

I started The Staffordshire Signal because I got fed up of local news that chased clicks instead of stories. We're independent, not-for-profit, IMPRESS-regulated and owned right here, so we answer to nobody but you.

The honest bit: local news only survives if local people choose it. If we don't, it goes.

Jenna GoodwinFounder and Editor, The Staffordshire Signal

Love what we do?

Buy us an oatcake! Cheese and bacon, if you're feeling generous. Every tip goes straight into local reporting.

Buy us an oatcake

Miss a proper paper?

Staffordshire's only regional printed magazine, full of stories worth sitting down with, delivered to your door.

Get it delivered

Follow on WhatsApp

Our stories, dropped straight into your phone. No group chat chaos, we promise.

Join the channel

What's On

Find something good to do this week

Markets, gigs, history talks and family days out across Staffordshire. Running an event? Add it to our guide and let the county know.

See what's on Add your event

For local businesses

Run a Staffordshire business?

Our readers keep the Signal going, and the businesses who advertise with us help keep it free for everyone. Reach people who read to the end, across our magazine, Signal Weekly, Signal TV and website.

Enquire about advertising