Sunderland's Yuvraaj shortlisted for two Nation's Curry awards

Sunderland Echo readers' favourite Indian restaurant is going up against the best of British.

Yuvraaj, in Douro Terrace, Ashbrooke, scooped our Curry House of the Year award three times in succession.

And now it has been nominated in the finals of the Nation's Curry Awards 2024.

Owner Monie Hussain will find out how his business has fared at the ceremony in Manchester on Monday evening.

Yuvraaj is nominated in two categories - Outstanding Curry of the Year and Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year.

The success of Sunderland's curry culture is reflected in the fact that Yuvraaj is one of two city venues in the running far an award next week.

Babaji, which took over the former Royale Thai restaurant in Mary Street in January 2023 has also made the shortlist for Best New Restaurant of the Year. Now in its second year, the Nation's Curry Awards recognise the talents and hard work of individuals and businesses working in the UK's curry industry, and Monie is delighted to have been nominated twice over.

"The English curry awards have been going for a few years and we have been nominated before, but this is the for the whole of the UK, and that's quite big, to be fair," he said.

"We were absolutely over the moon when we heard - you don't work for awards, you work for your customers, but it is amazing that someone has put us forward for this."

Monie took over the former Cafe Spice 2000 nine years ago and has built up a loyal customer base - a fact which played a major role in the restaurant's recovery after the Covid pandemic.

"I know some businesses are still suffering but our customers have come back to support us - most of the people who come are people that we know and new customers soon become part of the restaurant, part of the family," said Monie.

And he paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of his staff: "It is because of the team," he said.

"I am the face of the restaurant but it is the work in the background that makes the business as successful as it is."