Wrexham’s Black Peppers restaurant honoured at Parliamentary awards

A Wrexham curry house cooked up a storm in a competition to find the UK’s best South Asian restaurant.

Black Peppers, on Yorke Street, was nominated for the 2019 Tiffin Cup by the town’s MP, Ian Lucas.

It was judged the best entrant from Wales and, as a result, was invited to the Grand Final at the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, July 2, when chefs from the 13 regional and national winners went head-to-head in a special cook-off.

A team of judges, chaired by TV chef Ainsley Harriott, sampled dishes from each of the finalists on the night and declared Black Peppers as the seventh best overall, from a total entry of 69.

Chef Babul Hussain cooked his signature shahi chicken dish, which is a chicken breast filled with spicy mincemeat, simmered in a spicy oriental sauce and served with Basmati rice.

Mr Lucas said: “The Tiffin Cup raises the profile of South Asian food in the UK and I was very proud to see a restaurant from Wrexham named the best in Wales and make it all the way through to the Grand Final.

“There was some hot competition on the night and Black Peppers can take great from finishing seventh overall in the UK – a superb achievement.

“We have some fine eateries across Wrexham, providing a diverse range of great food, and it’s always good to get the chance to celebrate that.

“It as a pleasure to welcome the team from Back Peppers to Parliament and I’m glad they enjoyed their day in London.”

Black Peppers manager Raju Ahmed added: “We certainly enjoyed our trip and Mr Lucas had plenty of time for us, showing us around Parliament. We thank him for nominating us.”

Now in its 14th year, the Tiffin Cup was set up by a group of food-loving MPs with the aim of finding the top South Asian restaurant in the country.

The competition also raises money for the charity World Vision.

MPs are asked to nominate an entrant from their own constituency and the best from each region goes through to the grand final. The final took place in Bellamy’s restaurant, in the House of Commons, where Kuti’s Brasserie from Southampton won the overall first prize.

Black Peppers opened in Wrexham in 2011 and serves Indian and Bangladeshi cuisines, integrating a traditional style of cooking with locally sourced produce.