Photo:Shah Athar, COO of UK Curry Connect and organiser of the UK Curry Championships 2026, proudly presents the National Curry Chef of the Year trophy ahead of the prestigious culinary competition in Dunstable.
UK Curry Championships 2026 Heats Up
Seventeen chefs from the UK and Europe will compete in Dunstable for the National Curry Chef of the Year title at the prestigious UK Curry Championships 2026 culinary competition.
The heat is rising ahead of the UK Curry Championships 2026, as 17 talented chefs from across the UK and Europe prepare to compete for the coveted title of National Curry Chef of the Year.
Taking place on Thursday 28 May 2026 in the market town of Dunstable, the prestigious competition will bring together an impressive line-up of culinary professionals with backgrounds spanning Michelin-starred kitchens, multiple AA Rosette establishments, mainstream television appearances, and award-winning restaurants. Alongside the professionals, a number of talented amateur chefs will also test their skills in the high-pressure culinary showdown.
An outstanding celebration of culinary excellence, creativity, and South Asian cuisine, uniting talented chefs from across the UK and Europe.
The event is organised by Shah F. Athar, COO of UK Curry Connect, a leading trade body within the South Asian hospitality sector. The championships are being held in partnership with the Craft Guild of Chefs as part of the renowned British Culinary Championships.
Competitors confirmed for this year’s event include:
- Praveen Singh Rawat – Essence at The Pantiles by Atul Kochhar, Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Arup Dasgupta – Euphoria by Chef Arup
- Shiv Kapoor – Mister Nice, Mayfair
- Rohan Wadke – Cameron House Hotel, Loch Lomond
- Dheeraj Singh Kaira – Benares, Berkeley Square
- Shabu Natarajan – Kinara by Shabu Natarajan, Glasgow
- Manikantan Sree Rajhan – The Belfry Hotel, Sutton Coldfield
- Dev Biswal – The Cook’s Tale, Canterbury
- Jit Sunar – Mount Gurkha Village, Derby
- Md. Sohel Khan – Babaji, Sunderland
- Nigar Parvin – Stoke Place Hotel
- Vikas Negi – London
- Gianmarco Lupi – Italy
- Steve Heap – Birmingham
- Visakh Pradeep Kumar – London
- Saskar Shawnim – Birmingham
- Layla Hamid – Birmingham
Each chef will be challenged to prepare two dishes within one hour: a vegetarian or seafood starter and a lamb-based main course. Contestants are encouraged to showcase their creativity and technical expertise through curries inspired by both traditional and contemporary styles from around the world.
The dishes will be assessed by an esteemed judging panel featuring internationally recognised culinary experts including Nick Wort (Salon Director), Steve Scuffell, Raj Mandal, Stuart McLeod, Stuart Nisbet, Tony Leck, Rajesh Suri, Chad Rahman, Fatih Oncu and Najib Ali.
This year’s UK Curry Championships are proudly sponsored by The IBD Partnership Group, Square Mile Insurance Services, Imran Brothers Foods, Sponsor License Specialists, Kingfisher Beer, [MOCK], Heer Rice, and Knoesis Technologies.
