HARLOW’S Moonlight Tandoori restaurant has been nominated for a top restaurant award.

The Staple Tye based restaurant has been nominated for regional restaurant of the year by Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards.

The winners will be announced at a glittering celebrity red-carpet event in London Hilton Park Lane on October 8th.

Nominees were chosen based on nominations by customers from across the UK, including over 750,000 customers of ARTA’s strategic partner ChefOnline, Social Media and Food Hygiene Ratings, followed by a final judgment of an esteemed judging panel to crown each region’s Asian excellency.

Top 10 restaurants in Essex have been nominated for the Regional Restaurant of The Year Award at the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards (ARTA) 2023. These are as follows:

1. Asia Bangladeshi & Indian Restaurant, South Benfleet
2. Cinnamon, North Weald
3. Desi Indian Dining Club, Grays
4. Haweli Restaurant, Redbridge
5. Moonlight Tandoori, Harlow
6. Pride of Sylhet, Great Dunmow
7. Taste of Raj, Rochford
8. The Polash, Southend-On-Sea
9. Village Indiya Restaurant Benfleet, Thundersley
10. Pakwaan Indian Punjabi Cuisine, Writtle

From the National Champion of the Champions, Regional Restaurant of the Year, National & Regional Chefs of the Year, to National Newcomer of The Year, ARTA will spotlight the pinnacle of over 1,190 restaurants and takeaways across the UK that were nominated by the restaurant goers and enthusiastic food lovers from all over the country.

Furthermore, the strategic partner of ARTA, ChefOnline, an online platform to order food and book tables on the go, invited their 750,000-strong customer base to nominate their favourite restaurants and takeaways. An esteemed panel of judges selected the finalists. The process concludes at the Grand Finale & Gala Evening, where the ultimate winner is announced and honoured with prestigious awards in various categories.

The UK’s Curry industry contributes £4.2 billion annually, which as of 2015, has accounted for a fifth of the restaurants in the UK dating back to the 1800s. The ARTA celebrates and recognises Britain’s vibrant Asian restaurants and takeaways and offers solidarity and morale for the industry currently facing high energy costs, inflation, skilled staff shortage, and the rising price of raw materials.

Speaking about the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards 2023, Mohammed Munim, Founder Member and CEO of ARTA, said: “Asian restaurants have made a significant contribution to the UK economy, both historically and in recent times. They deserve recognition and rewards for their efforts. These restaurants have not only created thousands of jobs but have also boosted local economies through their presence, especially post-BREXIT.

To provide staunch support to the thriving Asian restaurants in Britain, ARTA acknowledges and highlights their importance in the culinary landscape. Each nominee is a worthy winner, and we look forward to celebrating with them all at the award ceremony on the 8th of October.”

ARTA 2023 is Powered by CocaCola, Work Permit Cloud, with ChefOnline as the Strategic Partner and Madhu’s as the Catering Partner. ARTA 2023 is also proudly supported by PayTap, Switch Gas and Power, SuperPollo, Cobra Beer, Lexpert Solicitors, Square Mile Insurance Services, and charity partner Tafida Raqeeb Foundation.