Managing Director, Aklasul Momin is extremely pleased with the accolade, “Being the first Indian restaurant in Birmingham to receive a rosette feels surreal, it must mean that we are doing something right”.

Equally pleased is award winning Executive Chef, Sudha Shankar Saha who was quoted as saying, “This is just the first few steps in achieving my dream of a Michelin star, I believe that with a lot more hard work we can get there”.

Saffron Restaurant Group have also announced that they will be opening two further fine dining restaurants in Birmingham during the fall of 2011.

Other achievements Saffron Restaurant has collated include:

• Taste of Birmingham ‘Best out of Town Restaurant’ 2008
• Highest-rated Asian restaurant in the Midlands region by Good Food Guide 2009
• Midlands’ regional winner of The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Award 2010.

Sudha Shankar Saha, Executive Chef at Saffron Restaurant Birmingham is one of the forty chefs, from the crème de la crème of the cooking world, now in the running for the prestigious accolade after being selected to compete in the semi-finals.

Sudha has risen to prominence following his efforts at Saffron Restaurant Birmingham since 2003 and has won several top accolades for himself and the restaurant.

Top culinary training centres in London and Sheffield will play host to the semi-finalists between September 5^th and 8^th 2011.

Finalists will be invited to gather in London on September 23^rd where this year’s mystery basket of ingredients will be revealed.

The grand final will be held at the Restaurant Show at Earls Court 2, London, on October 11^th 2011.

“It’s a fantastic honour to be in the running for such a prestigious and well-respected prize,” said Sudha. “I know I’m going to be up against some tremendous talent, but it would be the icing-on-the-cake if I’m able to reach the final.”

Atul Kochhar, Michelin-starred chef and chef patron of Benares Restaurant, and Chris Galvin, chef patron of the Michelin-starred ‘Galvin at Windows’ at the London Hilton on Park Lane, are among the ambassador judges casting watchful eyes over the talent at the event.

“I’m delighted to be a part of this prestigious culinary competition once again,” said Atul. “The opportunity for chefs to showcase their ability is of vital importance to the growth of our industry.”

“The National Chef of the Year really pushes competitors to the limit and helps chefs realise their ambition,” added Chris. “It is a true lesson in excellence, an opportunity to showcase their talent and above all the ultimate award in the world of chefs. You will be privileged enough to earn peer respect, inspire others and make lifelong friends.”

The Prize

David Mulcahy, organiser of the competition and vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, said: “Last year’s competition was a phenomenal success, and the calibre of entries this year is equally strong. Winning the title is an outstanding achievement and the tremendous prize package up for grabs, worth in excess of £15,000, is a true reflection of that.

“Aside from being awarded the esteemed title of The National Chef Of The Year, the winner will receive a host of top-class prizes including an exclusive study trip to France, courtesy of Lockharts one of the headline sponsors of this year’s event, plus wine tasting in the acclaimed Hermitage region and dinner at a 3-starred Michelin restaurant.”

Other prizes include a money-can’t-buy masterclass with Marco Pierre White, courtesy of headline sponsor Knorr.  Whilst Electrolux is offering The National Chef of the Year 2011 the equipment from the competition theatre that was used to prepare the winning dishes.

The Craft Guild of Chefs announces the nominees for its 2011 awards

The long awaited list of nominees has been announced for the 2011 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards.

Following much deliberation, a judging panel of leading industry representatives has selected 40 chefs who will be feted at the prestigious awards ceremony at the Westminster Park Plaza Hotel on Thursday, June 2.

The award recognises culinary excellence and good service at restaurants, pubs and cafés throughout the UK.  Members of the public are invited to nominate their favourite independently-owned establishments in their area; those that offer regional dishes and use local produce. 

If you like what Saffron offer, please vote for us via the online feedback form. Forward the confirmation email to us to win the chance of winning a dinner for 2 at Saffron

Saffron will join the only other Birmingham restaurant, Michelin starred Simpsons in the heat to be held in London. See Craft Guild of Chefs website

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.”

Having been chosen to represent the Midlands region, Saffron will compete against:

The South, London,  The North, and Scotland for the top accolade during the practical ‘cook and serve’ on 19th July.

The winning team will receive a fabulous 10-day trip courtesy of Discover the Origin to the three regions involved including Burgundy, Parma and the Douro Valley to deepen their understanding of the history and provenance behind the products in the PDO campaign.