The hard-working team at Denley's Essence of India in Topsham are celebrating once again after scooping the crown for Best Restaurant in Devon and Cornwall at the Asian Curry Awards recently.

The awards ceremony was a plush affair taking place at the Grosvenor House in London's Mayfair on Sunday, November 21.

As nominees, the staff and families from Denley's were invited to attend the prestigious event hosted by the BBC’s Kate Silverton.

The guest list included a raft of VIPs, politicians and celebrities, along with top chefs and experts in the field of Asian hospitality.

Speaking about the occasion, Jay Miah, a co-owner of Denley's said: "It felt really good to be there as almost 2,000 people attended the event. I was so shocked to win an award for the third time!"

In fact, it is the third successive year that the contemporary Topsham restaurant has received an award at this illustrious event, continuing to build upon its already strong reputation.

Denley's has been serving up flavoursome Indian food from its High Street restaurant for more than a decade. The business was already award-winning and previously owned by Jamil Miah who wanted to sell to new owners who could mirror his high standards.

In April 2018, co-owners Jay Miah and Islam Khan took over the reins of the business. Jay and Islam moved their families and staff from Scotland to the quiet estuary town with a view to maintain the restaurant's strong reputation.

As for the secret to this success, Jay said: "We work really hard to keep the quality of our food high. For example, rather than using wholesale meat we use butcher quality meat and we buy from local vegetable suppliers. Our food is slow cooked to soak up the flavours and we use a good mix of spices and seasoning so the food doesn't taste bland. We also make our sauces fresh every day."

Running an award winning restaurant doesn't come without its challenges though, as Jay said: "Staff shortage is the biggest issue at the moment but we're coping well".

Jay explained they are hoping to recruit another chef who can introduce even more new flavours and dishes to the menu in future.

The Asian Curry Awards, is organised by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF) and represents 30,000 restaurants and takeaways across the UK. The awards are chosen by a judging panel of nine top chefs, food critics and restaurateurs.

There is only one branch of Denley's in Devon, located at 62 High Street in Topsham. For more, see www.denleysessenceofindia.co.uk or call 01392 875675 to make a booking.