ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Spicy critique makes curry houses in Britain hot under the collar

Murali Krishnan in London

Britain's curry houses have been left none too pleased after a leading restaurant pundit attacked waiters, branding them as "miserable gits".

The former editor-in-chief of Tandoori magazine -- the self-proclaimed bible of the curry industry in Britain -- Iqbal Wahaab, made this controversial remarks in the February issue of the magazine.

In it, he says, "Forget flock wallpaper and twangy sitar music; nothing typifies the Indian restaurant experience as much as the surly, miserable waiter." And if that wasn't critical enough, he also slams those waiters who do not make the effort to deliver service with a smile as 'fawning and crawling' workers. Dining out in most Indian restaurants, he added, was like 'going to a funeral'.

The spicy remarks, coming from a man who touts himself as the voice of the industry, created a major commotion and left Indian restaurant bosses and waiters baying for his blood.

Hundreds of outraged restaurateurs were planning to boycott Tandoori magazine -- a trade title distributed to Britain's 8000 curry houses. And, if that was not enough, curry bosses were considering boycotting Cobra Beer, the main financial backer of Tandoori and the trademark drink in all the curry houses.

Tandoori 's management immediately swung into action. A damage limitation exercise, they realised, was inadequate. They sacked Wahaab and published an unconditional apology in the latest issue of the magazine, disowning all remarks made by Wahaab, maintaining he had 'a hidden agenda'.

The new editor, Asif Hashmi, who took over this month, has managed to somewhat assuage the frayed nerves of curry bosses.

"It's a tough job. Tandoori could not afford to displease the curry houses without reason or provocation," he said.

In fact, the magazine is actually the bible for an industry which is worth over £2 billion. In London alone, there are 1687 restaurants followed by the West Midlands, 579, Lancashire, 387 and Kent, 352. In Northern Ireland, there are 263 restaurants while in Wales the number is roughly 420.

The magazine is now making a name in Europe, where the Indian restaurant industry is a growing sector with over 1500 curry houses in Germany, Holland, Spain, Italy and France. Newly settled, these restaurants are looking to create long-term relationships with companies in the UK.

Adi Modi, of The Bombay Brasserie in central London, which has now barred Wahaab from eating there, described the fallen curry aficionado's comments as "insulting, uneducated and simply publicity-seeking on his part."

Like many other restaurateurs, he pointed out that Wahaab had a motive behind the piece, that he was opening his own restaurant later this year.

A survey conducted by an independent research agency in February this year found that Indian restaurants are Britain's favourite dining out option -- 68 per cent saying that it is their number one choice.

Seventy per cent of the public go at least once a month, spending at least £18 per head and are the top choice of five times as many people as Chinese restaurants.

In 1950, the number of Indian restaurants in Britain were just 300. That number has progressed dramatically with the wave of migration from south Asia in the early '70s.

Wahaab admits that his criticism of curry houses was 'slightly over-the-top' but believes that Indian restaurants needed to provide better training and better wages if the industry is to progress.

"I do not want to get involved further in the controversy. Let's hope for the best," he said.

The curry house bosses have put behind the controversy created by Wahaab.

Tell us what you think of this report