Southsea restaurant The Akash nominated for national Indian restaurant of the year award

The Akash in Albert Road has been shortlisted for restaurant of the year in the upcoming Asian Curry Awards.

It comes as the full nominations are released by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which represents the nation’s 30,000 Asian and oriental restaurants.

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Co-owner Faz Ahmed is also up for a separate award as chef of the year.

A record number of nominees will now be whittled down by online public vote – before visiting judges determine the eventual winners – who will be honoured at a glitter awards ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House on November 20, sponsored by Just Eat.

With restaurateurs facing a ‘quadruple whammy’ of rising food prices, increased energy costs, staff shortages and customers experiencing a cost-of-living crisis, Yawar Khan, chairman of the ACF, urged the public to cast their votes, as a prestigious accolade can have a significant boost to an establishment’s bottom line.

‘Every week I hear from another owner closing their restaurant because they cannot see an end in sight to the economic situation – but an award win can bring a massive upsurge in trade,’ he said.

‘For customers wanting to help their favourite restaurants survive, their votes can be crucial.’

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The Akash recently received the award for south east restaurant of the year, at the English Curry Awards hosted by BBC presenter Tommy Sandhu.

Over the years, The Akash has become a cornerstone of Portsmouth’s community.

At the start of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, staff provided free curries to workers at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, and took part in the Reverse Advent Calendar initiative that same year.

In 2018, the family-run business flew an order to 30 British expats living in Bordeaux, France, and featured on the Channel 5 programme ‘Saturday Night Takeaways: Binge Britain’ two years ago.

Following the English Curry Awards ceremony, Faz also commented on the increasing diversity in the curry industry.

He said: ‘I was amazed at the diversity – men and women, both English and Asian, are running Indian curryhouses to fantastic quality.

‘Long may it continue.’