Top Five UK Restaurant Stories - July 2010

5. Skye Restaurant Named One of the Top 5 in theThe town beat of stiff competition from a number
World by Famed Criticof other locations, including Birmingham which has
A restaurant in Skye has been declared one of thebecome renowned for its "Balti Belt", a range of
best five places in the world to eat by famed foodIndian Restaurants in the city centre. Other hotspots
critic Frank Bruni. Staff at The Three Chimneys wereinclude Reading and Leicester.
ecstatic at the news that Mr Bruni rated them soThere are currently believed to be around 9,000
highly, with the critic lavishing praise on the popularIndian restaurants across the country, with
sea food restaurant in an article, stating that theBirmingham hosting a large amount of them but
restaurant was "an enchanting experience throughsimply not matching the restaurant to person ratio of
and through. Some diners come by helicopter fromBromley. The survey was released to commemorate
Edinburgh or Glasgow: that's how big a deal thisthe 200th anniversary of the UK's first Indian
restaurant is in Scotland. It's intimate, beautiful,restaurant, with one in five UK residents now claiming
serves amazingly fresh local seafood, and does rightthat Indian food is their favourite meal.
by the local lamb as well."2. Radical Indian Restaurant Defies Normal
The restaurant is run by a husband and wife team,Conventions
with Shirley Spear acting as Head Chef while runningChef Dev Biswal is looking to bring through wholesale
the business alongside her husband Eddie. She saidchanges to the Indian restaurant scene after opening
that "We did not know it, but he visited us twoa restaurant that doesn't serve any curry dishes but
years ago and obviously still retains fond memories ofdoes serve pork dishes. The controversial move
his experience here. To be selected as one of onlycomes attached to a promise that the restaurant will
five well-known greats such as Trattoria Monti inprovide gourmet Indian food, however the use of
Rome or Hill Country in New York is staggering."pork seems to go completely against the halal
The Spears took over the restaurant when theytraditions upheld by most Indian restaurants.
decided to make a lifestyle change and move theirBiswal, who has worked as an executive chef in a
young children from Croydon to the comparativelyMichelin starred restaurant, says the move is
quieter region of Skye."something almost unknown in the UK's 10,000
4. EU Not to Ban Selling Eggs by the Dozenpredominantly Bangladeshi-owned south Asian
In a move that food lobbyists in Britain will likelyestablishments." Dishes are scheduled to change daily
celebrate, it has been confirmed that the EU is notand will include a range of off-kilter Indian recipes.
planning on banning the sale of groceries by quantity.He also intends to prove that wine can be matched
Renate Sommer MEP responded to suggestions thatto Indian cuisine, and is holding a tasting session to
shoppers might have to change their habits byprove his point on the 8th August.
stating that "There will be no changes to selling foods1. The Restaurant Show Begins Preparations for 2010
by number."Event
Earlier in the month the European Parliament rejectedThe Restaurant Show 2010 is getting closer and
an amendment that proposed that some foodscloser, with event organisers promising everything
traditionally sold by number could be exempt fromfrom live shows to competitions and seminars in an
the proposals to label food by weight.attempt to attract visitors working in the restaurant
However Ms Sommers confirmed that the new rulesand pub sectors. The show is now in its 22nd year
would simply allow for both weight and number to beand will run between October 11 - 13, boasting a
indicated, requiring little in the way of changing theline-up that includes some of the UK's biggest chefs
traditional method of purchasing. The law appears toas well as tips from restaurant heads on how to
have no actual effect on how goods are sold, andsucceed in such a competitive field.
simply seems to enforce that each product soldShow organisers are planning a number of features,
should have its weight indicated.such as;
British Labour MEP Glenis Willmott said "there is- A Centre stage to host the top chefs in the
absolutely nothing in the new rules... that wouldbusiness as they provide workshops for interested
prevent producers from selling their products byfoodies.
quantity - so to say that it won't be possible to sell- A competition theatre that will see chefs from
eggs by the dozen is plain wrong".around the country go head to head to see which
3. Bromley Beats Out Birmingham to be Named UK'scan create the best dish.
Curry House Capital- A drinks quarter that allows bar managers to gain
The small town of Bromley has been named the UK'sextra information and insight into stocking the right
curry house capital after a survey revealed that thewines and spirits.
town had one Indian restaurant for every 853- Business seminars in which visitors can tap the
residents in the town in south-east London.minds of some of the biggest names in the industry.