Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 30/7/2010

VIPs Provide Food for Thought at FoBC Gala Dinner & Awards

A host of government ministers, members of Parliament, High Commissioners, dignitaries, educational providers and industry leaders spoke out about the curry restaurant industry at the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers UK Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel.

The evening which was also attended by hundreds of business owners in the Asian catering sector was the occasion of the first FoBC awards and saw all the major organisations of the catering and hospitality industries united on one platform to highlight the triumph of curry restaurants and draw attention to some of the challenges currently facing the sector as a whole.

Fabulous Bollywood entertainment and authentic Bangladeshi food provided by international caterers Madhu's combined with speeches from figures at the very heart of the catering industry and government with problems of rising VAT, lending issues by banks, the cap on immigration and the lack of skilled people entering the industry providing some of the thorny topics under discussion. The evening which was hosted by Lisa Aziz, the former Sky News and ITV West anchor, also included a video address from the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who expressed his huge admiration for caterers and restaurateurs who formed an "absolutely integral part of every community in the country, epitomising the "hard work, the entrepreneurship, the innovation and creativity that was needed at a time of economic hardship.

The "Sage of the Credit Crunch" the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Vince Cable, spoke of the "conquest by cooking" in the UK by the cuisine of the subcontinent. Dr Cable mentioned problems faced by the curry industry relating to the immigration regime; the visa system was "cumbersome, difficult and restrictive" and the banks were still "crippled" following economic difficulties. Small businesses were struggling to get or extend overdrafts and pay back loans: "I hope [the government] may ease the pressures that you have to face by making it clear to the banks that they have to contribute to the recovery of the British economy," said Dr Cable. Several speakers urged delegates to take part in the coalition government's consultation on immigration. The Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses John Walker stressed the importance of a strong, vibrant business community: "Ninety seven per cent of businesses employ less than 20 people," he said, "and most of that particular statistic will apply to many of the businesses represented here." Dr M Sayeedur Rahman Khan, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh spoke of the huge input of the curry industry into the British economy and expressed his hope that the UK government would not place restrictions on skilled workers, especially chefs, coming from Bangladesh. At the end of the evening guests agreed that it had been a magnificent occasion. "I think this has been an absolutely fantastic event," said Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East, "But the important political message learned from tonight is that we have to engage with political structures so that in the end, we really have a voice.

"This event has been an outstanding celebration of achievement in the curry industry,said FoBC President Yawar Khan, "But it has also been more; the Federation has brought together people from all over the country and has united business and catering organisations. We will continue to build on this foundation to work together to achieve our common goals with a stronger voice."

The winners of the awards who were nominated across the UK and selected by FoBC industry consultants were:

Winners of Young Restaurateur of the Year Award

Ash Miah, Cinnamon Spice, Ashford

Mizanur Rahman, Kennington Tandoori, Kennington

Jakir Hussain Chowdhury, The Royal Tandoori, Chatham

Rumel Ullah, Nazma Tandoori, Aberdeen

Winners of Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year Award

Abul Monsur, Taj Cuisine, Kent

Arju Miah MBE, Taj Mahal, Wiltshire

Noor Miah, Dilshad Restaurant, Midlands

Ana Miah, Juboraj Lakeside, Cardiff

Shah Aktar Hussain Tutul, Alishan Tandoori, Coldchester

Sukur Ali, The Vicroy, Carlisle

Abdul Kadir Jilani, The Red Fox, Tarporley

Abdul Rob, Tiger Garden, Buckinghamshire

Rokib Ali, Spice Lounge, Faversham, Kent

Winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award

Meah Monirul Alam, Kashmir Tandoori, Canterbury

Muzammil Ali, Jewel in the Crown, Swindon

Outstanding Related Business Award

Taj Stores, Brick Lane, London

FoBC Special Awards

Kingfisher

United Airways

History is about to be made at a Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony organised by the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers (UK). For probably the first time ever, the heads of leading business institutions, politicians, curry restaurateurs of all origins and owners of allied concerns, will be united under one roof for an occasion that celebrates and recognises the outstanding success of the British curry industry.

The Gala Dinner takes place on 18th July 2010 in the elegant surroundings of the Lancaster London Hotel close to London's Knightsbridge, in the Nine Kings suite where 800 guests; restaurateurs and owners of businesses allied to the catering industry, will be able to rub shoulders with high-ranking MPs of all parties, ministers, leading figures from business organisations, High Commissioners, dignitaries and embassy officials.

The well known ITV broadcaster and former presenter of Sky News, Lisa Aziz hosts the exciting programme. Guests will hear inspirational, informative and thought provoking speeches from key figures in the business and political world and dine on authentic and delectable Indian cuisine provided by the top Asian outside caterer in the UK, Madhu's, whilst watching spectacular cultural entertainment.

Dr Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, is the Chief Guest. As Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Dr Cable was said by The Economist to have contributed "the single best line of Gordon Brown's premiership," during Prime Minister’s Question Time; a speech by the member for Twickenham promises to be as entertaining as it is informed.

The dinner will also be attended by the Bangladeshi High Commissioner and politicians, including Paul Burstow MP and Minister of State for the Department of Health, Keith Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East, Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington and Rushnara Ali, the Labour member for Bethnal Green and Bow. Earlier this year, Ms Ali took her seat in the House of Commons as the first person of Bangladeshi origin to be elected to the UK parliament.

Heads of many of the UK's high-profile business and catering organisations will also be present, including the chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, the chairman of the Restaurant Association, representatives from the CBI and Association of Catering Excellence and head of the UK Chinese Take Away Association.

The phenomenal response to the Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony bears testimony as to how much the Federation has achieved since its inception in 2008. First and foremost, the Federation's president Mr Yawar Khan sees the event as a celebration:

"We want to recognise the success of the whole curry industry and share this with other business leaders, "explained Mr Khan, "To our knowledge, this is the first time all the major catering and small business organisations have come together and the evening will also offer unprecedented opportunities for networking, discussion and forging of business links."

The evening also sees the presentation of the FoBC Awards for promising young restaurateurs, outstanding restaurateurs, lifetime achievement and businesses allied to the curry industry. "We believe that awards such as these are vitally important to encourage young people to enter the restaurant industry, said Mr Khan, "they provide the incentive and motivation to set sights higher and move up to the next level. :

"We aim to bring all the people involved in the whole curry business under one flag, speaking with one voice from a united platform so that our voice has greater resonance," said Mr Khan, "We want to use this occasion to celebrate, but also we want to share and discuss problems within the industry so that ultimately, we can work out how to overcome them together."

There are still some limited seats available for the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony. A table for 10 costs £550. For further information see www.fobc2008.com or telephone Media Mohol on 020 7650 00 00/07939 936 786. To nominate a restaurateur for an award, visit www.fobc2008.com

About the FoBC

The FoBC is made up of members from owners and directors of small businesses within the whole British curry industry and allied fields. As a multi-cultural and non-political organisation, the Federation works to safeguard, improve and promote the sector. Although most people in the UK are happily aware that Indian curry has come to be Britain's favourite food, many don't realise that there are currently over 12,000 Asian restaurants and takeaways in the UK which create job opportunities for approximately 100,000 people and contribute approximately £4.5 billion to the British economy.

In the current economic climate the FoBC is moving forward with a positive outlook and looking for practical solutions. With restaurateurs in the curry sector beset by problems of staff shortages, immigration raids and rising costs with an impending VAT rise, there is a growing need for the industry to highlight the concerns of Asian business owners to the government.

In partnership with schools and colleges, the Federation is also working for the establishment of nationally recognised training for skilled workers in the catering sector to enable restaurateurs to recruit from a local workforce.

The FoBC is working to get the government to regularise the thousands of long-term undocumented skilled workers, including chefs, cooks and waiters, who have the requisite skills needed to support our industry, yet are forced to be part of an underground economy. Most irregular migrants are employed in specific sectors of construction, cleaning, catering and hospitality services, often working for meagre wages.

Earlier this year, in conjunction with London Citizens; a powerful grassroots charity working with local people for local people, we conducted a Listening Campaign to collect stories and highlight issues in the industry through a series of small discussion groups in order to compile an action agenda.

On 3rd May 2010, the FoBC UK and London Citizens organised a joint Rally on the theme of Strangers into Citizens. Thousands of people, supported by an alliance of 120 civic institutions including churches, trade unions and educational establishments, assembled in Altab Ali Park on Whitechapel Road to back our call for a "pathway to citizenship" for long-term undocumented migrants. There are an estimated 618,000 illegal immigrants within the UK, many of whom took great risks to get here or fled from terrifying circumstances. The cost of deporting even one person is £11,000.

The FoBC believes that there is a compassionate case for a one-off regularization to allow those undocumented migrants who have lived here for at least six years, present employer and character references, a clean criminal record and proficiency in English, to be reinstated. We therefore support the Strangers into Citizens campaign to provide a pathway into citizenship for migrant workers who have stayed in this country for a long time, to enable them to pay taxes and legally contribute to the economy.