Sunderland takeaway Saffron shortlisted in prestigious English Curry Awards

Saffron has built up a loyal following after 10 years operating in Fulwell Road. Now, it’s been recognised nationally after being shortlisted in the 11th annual English Curry Awards.

The national awards recognise the cream of the crop in the nation’s curry industry, with the shortlist decided by the public.

The business is hoping to bring home the Takeaway & Home Delivery of the Year award, which will be announced at a black tie awards ceremony in Birmingham on August 22.

Only four other Sunderland businesses have been shortlisted across the categories: Riz-Q, Nawaab, Forhan’s and Rowshuni.

Saffron manager Kowsar Miah said it’s great to be recognised among the best, after they were put forward for the awards by their customers.

"This is our first time nominated in these awards and it’s fantastic to make the final 10 of this category,” he said. “This can be a competitive industry and you see a lot of takeaways closing at the minute, so to survive 10 years in the industry is an achievement.

Speaking about the team’s longevity, Kowsar said: “We did do a lot of business in lockdown, but we also have a really loyal following of regulars. Our chefs have been here a long time and people like that consistency. Our head chef is Roman Islam and his food is really popular.

"He was raised in Birmingham, so his style is a little different from some of the other takeaways in Sunderland.”

While Saffron’s most popular dishes remain classic curry options, such as madras, vindaloo and korma, they’ve also proved popular for adding Indian pizzas to the menu, such as madras pizza, chicken tikka special pizza and balti special pizza.

Kowsar said: “We weren’t sure how the Indian pizzas would do, but they’ve been very popular. Whilst a lot of our customers are from SR6, we have people from as far as Herrington ordering the Indian pizzas.”

Saffron is no stranger to awards success after being voted as Takeaway of the Year 2019 by Sunderland Echo readers.

The English Curry Awards recognise the growth of the Asian curry sector in the country and recognise all aspects of the industry, from chefs, restaurants, and managers to takeaways, teams and curry schools.