Saffron Indian restaurant in Oldbury has been voted one of the top three restaurants in the country for its food and wine skills.

The popular eatery in Wolverhampton Road was second runner-up in the 2010 Gastronomy Team of the Year Competition run by the Academy of Food & Wine.

Saffron won the accolade after demonstrating its skills in a ‘cook and serve’ national final in front of distinguished judges at London’s Westminster Kingsway College.

A team of Executive Chef Sudha Shankar Saha and Sommelier Susanta Kumar Das, standing in for Chief Sommelier Aklasal Momin, were presented with a certificate after having been awarded the Midland regional title earlier this year.

Using ingredients specified by competition sponsor Discover the Origin, the team cooked a starter of pan-friend spice-scented sea bass and Parma ham parcel, spiced chickpea salsa, ginger and sweet chilli dressing and salad greens, and served it with a Domaine Matrot Chardonnay 2008.

Their main was Indian shepherd’s pie with Parmigiano-Reggiano and coriander crumble served with korma sauce, paired with an Altano Organic Douro Red.

The judges included Academy Deputy Chairman Paul Breach, Lexington Catering Chef Director Robert Kirby and 2008 Sommelier of the Year Gearoid Devaney. 

Paul Breach said: “This year the finalists were all of an extremely high standard. The competition demonstrates that good teamwork between front-of-house and back-of-house can result in really creative cooking and wine and food pairings.”

Sudha Shankar Saha said: “We were delighted to do so well in such a demanding and prestigious contest. It was a superb way of showing how we try to push the boundaries in gastronomy, in this case by matching nouvelle Indian cuisine with wine suggestions from Burgundy and the Douro Valley.”