An Indian takeaway in Prestwich has just beaten rivals up and down the country to be crowned the best in the whole of the UK.
Bombay Cuisine in Prestwich, Manchester won the accolade of National Takeaway of The Year 2022 at the annual Asian Restaurant and Takeaway awards, taking home the accolade at a celebrity red-carpet event.
Serving up a mixture of traditional dishes like jalfrezi and karahi alongside a wide selection of masala, pasanda, biryani and balti dishes, you’ll also find a long list of house and chef specialities on the menu at Bombay Cuisine.
From Indian cheese kofta to the popular Gujurati dish achari, plus shahi suria, chana walla and murgh musallam, the specials menu is packed with mouthwatering dishes.
Elsewhere you’ll find a special sizzling tandoori section with all dishes barbecued in a special clay oven, as well as a list of ‘Nice n Spicy’ specials for those who aren’t shy of a bit of heat.
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Speaking on their award win, the restaurant told The Manc: “We want to start off by saying a huge thank you to our customers who have nominated us to win not 1, but 2 awards in the north west region.
“Without them, this wouldn’t have been possible and we would also like to thank our customers for supporting us from the very first day we opened our doors in Prestwich.
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“We feel honoured and privileged to have won such a big award and becoming the national takeaway of the year 2022.
“It’s a very big achievement for us and we are feeling so proud of the team behind Bombay Cuisine for the hard work and effort they put in to make such wonderful food to serve the local community of Prestwich and surrounding areas. Thank you.”
Bombay Cuisine was not the only Greater Manchester restaurant to win big, either, with The Milnrow Balti in Rochdale also taking home the Regional Restaurant of the Year award for the North West of England – proving that we really are spoilt for choice in this part of the world.
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Each year, the awards reveal the best of UK Asian cuisine selected from 2,400 nominations from South Asian restaurants, takeaways, chefs, and personalities across the country.
They celebrate the UK’s Curry industry, which contributes £5 billion to the economy annually and, as of 2015, has accounted for a fifth of the restaurants in the UK dating back to the 1800’s.
Image: Bombay Cuisine, Prestwich
Image: Bombay Cuisine, Prestwich
The Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred to Mr Muquim Ahmed, a renowned British entrepreneur who was a successful restaurateur and has spent over 40 years in building a rapidly growing business empire. He is also known as the King of London’s Brick Lane.
The winners were selected by an esteemed panel of expert ambassadors and judges, and restaurants were awarded based on three key factors: quality of food, quality of service, and value for money.
This was followed by the ARTA score, which includes food hygiene rating and reviews from websites like TripAdvisor and Google.
Restaurants that made it through the gruelling first phase were judged and invited to participate in a cook-off competition where they were scored once again on various factors including: flavour, appearance, texture, hygiene and aroma.
Speaking about the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards 2022, Salik Mohammed Munim, Founder of the ARTA Awards, said: “The ARTA Awards 2022 are a celebration and recognition of Britain’s vibrant Asian restaurants, takeaways, and chefs.
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“Since the inception of ARTA, we have clearly seen the phenomenal quality of entrants, and the bar set by each, and every nominee has been increasing each year.
“I am truly blown away by the standards set by the competition and having been privy to exceptional quality and service extended by the nominees, I can confidently assert that Asian culinary industry in Britain is in safe hands.
“Every nominee and winner should be proud of their work.”
The awards also offered solidarity and morale for the industry which is currently facing headwinds including with the high cost of energy, inflation, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
Salik Mohammed added: “ARTA 2022 is extremely special for us, as it has returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The gathering was emotional and symbolic, as it brought together members of the Asian cuisine industry during an exceptionally difficult and testing time.
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“The cost of energy crisis is a real threat to the sector, and many are faced with the prospect of closing doors after having served their local communities and patrons for decades.
“This has been a back-to-back assault on the sector, which was recently reeling and recovering from the pandemic, and staffing shortages post-Brexit.
“It was a poignant moment for us all, to be together and extend moral support and well-wishes. I truly wish us all the very best.”
Feature image – Bombay Cuisine
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Strangeways declared ‘threat to national security’ following drone deliveries of drugs, weapons and more
Danny Jones
A recent trend at HMP Manchester has been declared a “threat to national security” after it was learned that drones have been regularly delivering drugs, weapons and more into the facility formerly known as Strangewaysalong with other UK prisons.
It’s said there were roughly 220 drone sightings over the past year or so – more than any other prison in the country – and issues around contraband, violence, hygiene and more have been on the increase ever since. HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire was found to be similarly neglected.
A rife drug and rat problem was found following a surprise autumn inspection between September and October; it is now evident that the chronic issues have been exacerbated by a major security breach as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, says police have “ceded airspace” over facilities.
The most recent report on conditions at HMP Manchester and Long Lartin was published on Tuesday, 14 January and, in short, it insists that huge investment is needed in order to curb the crisis.
Credit: HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Drones, corruption and a lack of investment have seen Strangeways maintain its reputation
A top-line assessment of Strangeways found that many of the sticking points came down not only to the advent of drones delivering items such as phones, drugs, weapons and other “large payloads” weighing up to as much as 7kg, but merely “poor physical security” and concerns regarding corruption.
Most notably, high-risk prisoners who Taylor described as “extremely dangerous” have been burning holes in cell windows in order to pick up drone deliveries. The ease with which these exchanges are able to take place comes down to what he simply calls “slow action”.
There has been a damning failure to spot, repair and/or replace these panels, as well as the torn netting over exercise yards, meaning that drone operators have an easier task when dropping their packages into the 158-year-old penitentiary.
According to the report, “a staggering 39% of prisoners had tested positive in mandatory drug tests at Manchester” (50% at Long Lartin) and a simple survey found that drugs and alcohol were “easy” to acquire inside Strangeways.
In addition to the rodent infestation, general hygiene looks to have plummeted to new lows in recent times too, with “widespread dirt, damp and litter” as well as vandalism in several areas. Inmates have also been tearing up mattresses to insulate windows from the cold.
Numbers relating to assault, self-harm, suicide and more have also risen since the last major inspection in 2021. By all accounts, it remains one of Britain’s most dangerous prisons for a whole host of reasons.
There has also been a significant drop-off when it comes to socialisation and rehabilitation efforts, as the work day, learning and general activities look to have dwindled too.
Taylor signed off by writing: “The safety of staff, prisoners and ultimately that of the public, is seriously compromised by the failure to tackle what has become a threat to national security.
“The prison service, the police and other security services must urgently confront organised gang activity and reduce the supply of drugs and other illicit items which so clearly undermine every aspect of prison life.” To put it simply, he says the situation is “highly alarming.”
It may not make for pleasant reading, but if you want a clearer picture of the current conditions inside Strangeways prison or to learn more about the growing advent of smuggling drones, you can read the extensive 67-page report in full HERE.
Broken cell windowDamage and dirtThe state of a kitchenette (Credit: HMIP)
Featured Images — Robert Wade (via Flickr)/HMIP (HM Inspectorate of Prisons)
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Murder investigation launched after man in his 50s found dead in Little Hulton
Emily Sergeant
A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a man in his 50s was found in Little Hulton this past weekend.
Shortly before 7:30am on Sunday 12 January, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called to an address on Hope Hey Lane, in the Little Hulton area of Salford, following reports of concern for the welfare of a man.
Once emergency services arrived on the scene, the body of a man in his 50s was sadly found dead.
According to GMP, following a post mortem taking place, officers believe the man’s injuries are “consistent with an assault”, and because of this, detectives have subsequently launched a murder investigation.
#ARREST | A murder investigation has been launched after a man was found deceased in Little Hulton yesterday.
A woman in her 40s has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
There will be an increase in police around the area while we investigate.
With the investigation ongoing, a woman in her 40s has already been arrested on suspicion of murder, and she remains in police custody for questioning.
Addressing the incident and speaking on the murder investigation as it progresses, Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Sadly, following the discovery of a body at a property in Little Hulton, we have now launched a murder investigation, and we have a team of detectives working around the clock to understand the circumstances.
“We do not believe there to be a threat to the wider public, but you will likely see an increased presence of police in your area whilst we conduct further enquiries.
Hope Hey Lane in Little Hulton, where the incident happened / Credit: Google Maps
“If you have any information which may assist our investigation, or any dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage from the area in the lats 24 hours, then please get in touch with us. No matter how small the information may seem, it could be crucial to our investigation.”
Can you help? Any information can be shared by calling police on 101 quoting log 650 of 12/01/25, or using the LiveChat function online at www.gmp.police.uk.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd October 2022 
