THE Aagrah Restaurant in Ilkley has been named a finalist for the Newcomer of the Year 2014 in the tenth British Curry Awards held at Battersea Evolution Centre in London.

Managing Director, Mohammed Aslam MBE said everyone at Aagrah was thrilled to have received the award, which puts Ilkley on the national curry culinary map.

The Curry Awards attracted 206,378 public nominations, which were received via post, app and online, from diners nominating their favourite curry restaurants – with 2,641 restaurants being nominated.

Among the high profile guests attending the awards were Home Secretary Teresa May, footballer David Seaman MBE, Paralympian David Weir CBE and broadcaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

A video message from Prime Minister David Cameron was also played, in which he said: “When I think of what makes me proud to be British, I think of the way we have built a multiracial democracy – a country that is a welcoming home for people of different histories and regions.

“The curry industry is a great example of the incredible contribution of different communities. It is a great example of our whole country coming together.”

Situated in the centre of Ilkley, the new Aagrah restaurant is an elegant and sophisticated fine dining restaurant offering a warm and relaxed ambience.

The restaurant has a fresh seafood bar from which customers can select their choice of seafood and have it cooked to order.

The classically contemporary style fine dining restaurant features a kitchen which can be seen through a creative cut out wall, serving favourite Kashmiri cuisine with international influences in a stylish setting, with 90 covers.

Aagrah’s cuisine is distinctly unique and has won many top industry accolades for it taste, quality and great value.

Aagrah is a family owned business set up 37 years ago, employing 450 staff. The business has grown to 15 branches throughout Yorkshire. A purpose built banqueting suite opened five years ago for corporate and social events, seating 450 people. Aagrah also have an outdoor catering division, providing a complete outdoor catering service UK wide. To cater for home dining, four years ago Aagrah successfully launched a range of Tarka Cooking sauces, these are available in Asda and Tesco. Recent additions include chutneys and marinades which are available to purchase in their restaurant branches.