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Indian chef in the running for culinary crown

A top chef who left a renowned London restaurant to work in the region has become the first Indian cook to be shortlisted for the prestigious North East of England Chef of the Year Award.

Imamuddin Khan, originally from Delhi, runs the kitchen at Haveli restaurant in Ponteland, which is owned by North East property magnate Sunil Mehra. He will now line up against seven of the finest chefs in the area and look to wow judges at a live culinary competition on Thursday May 8.

Having cultivated his culinary skills at some of the finest restaurants in India, Chef Imamuddin ventured to London where he worked at the acclaimed Cinnamon Club before taking the role of head chef at Haveli. He was enticed by Sunil Mehra’s vision of it delivering crafted modern Indian cuisine putting it on a par with the best Indian restaurants anywhere in the world.

Despite the North East’s well-established and popular Indian restaurants, an Indian chef has never quite cut the mustard at this professional level until the arrival of Chef Imamuddin to Haveli, which opened its doors last year.

Sunil Mehra said: “I wanted to create a restaurant the North East can be proud of. Haveli is not a regular Indian restaurant that many people are familiar with but a unique venue that offers fine Indian food in a contemporary setting.

“It’s great to see that Chef Imamuddin has been recognised shoulder to shoulder with other modern European chefs. Indian cuisine has more to offer than the typical high street curry house offering.”

The North East of England Chef of the Year Awards are run by the North East Culinary & Trade Association (NECTA), which aims to provide skills and opportunities for chefs, food producers and catering professionals in the North of England.

Chef Imamuddin said: “I feel honoured to be named alongside such outstanding chefs for the North East of England Chef of the Year Award and am particularly proud to have become the first Indian chef to ever be a finalist.

“Since arriving at Haveli, I have worked with Sunil to meet his vision of serving modern Indian cuisine with an authentic heritage, which is inspired by the finest kitchens of India. We both have a passion for wonderful food and our aim is to change North East diners’ perception of Indian food as they know it. In doing so, Haveli will establish a trademark for the modern Indian dining experience.

“I believe it may have been this modern approach coupled with my traditional experience thatcaught the eye of the judges. I am very much looking forward to the competition and even if I don’t win, I feel privileged to have been recognised beside such accomplished chefs.”

At a very early age, Chef Imamuddin discovered he had an insatiable love of food and so followed his passion and graduated from catering college in India. He then worked at the Radisson Hotel Delhi, the ITC Maurya Sheraton Delhi and the TajHotel Chandigarh, all renowned for being firm favourites amongst celebrities and world leaders alike.

Previous winners of the Newcastle City Council backed competition include an elite group of chefs such as John Connell and last year’s winner Gabor Pusztai. The NECTA award winner will be announced on May 8th at a gala dinner at the Civic Centre in Newcastle.

The hotly anticipated Haveli restaurant opened its doors last year and has since gained a loyal following of foodie diners with a love for top-end authentic Indian cuisine.

Haveli, which means’traditional mansion house with historical and architectural significance’, welcomed hundreds of VIPs including Dame Margaret Barbour and Steve Harper to its launch party.

Based at the heart of the executive Darras Hall estate, Haveli features cosy areas for intimate dining experiences and business lunches, as well as brighter, wider areas for families and groups.

For more information visit: www.haveliponteland.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Holli Brown .