Indian restaurant in Northampton ready to cook up a storm at House of Commons in finals of The Tiffin Cup

An award-winning curry house in Northampton town centre will go head-to-head with 10 other restaurants in a Parliamentary competition to crown the country's best South Asian cuisine.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Jun 2016, 08:36 BST
Updated 27th Jun 2016, 09:43 BST
Saffron, NorthamptonSaffron, Northampton
Saffron, Northampton

Saffron, in Castilian Street, is the first Northamptonshire restaurant to ever make it through to the national finals of the Tiffin Cup.

Last year 121 restaurants were nominated from across the country, with Saffron named as a regional runner-up, but it now has the chance to stake a claim for the national crown.

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Owner Naz Islam said: “The Tiffin Cup is held in the highest esteem by the restaurant industry and we are delighted to have been selected by the judging panel to take part in this year’s cook-off at the House of Commons.

“It is a huge honour to represent Northampton and we are looking forward to representing the town and the East Midlands. We will be up against some of the best chefs in the country and we hope to do the region proud.”

Saffron was initially nominated for the Tiffin Cup by David Mackintosh, Conservative MP for Northampton South, who said: “I’m thrilled that Naz and his team will have the chance to take part in the Tiffin Cup final. It’s a terrific opportunity to showcase their skills and put Northampton on the map.”

Saffron, which has recently completed an extensive refit, will compete in an hour-long cook-off at Bellamy’s restaurant in the House of Commons on Tuesday, July 12.

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Chefs will create a dish of their choice for an expert panel of judges.

The Tiffin Cup is awarded every year by the Tiffin Club of MPs, formed in 2006 by former MP John Barrett, Michael Fabricant MP and Keith Vaz MP.

The aim is not only to applaud the quality of South Asian food in Britain but also to raise much-needed money for charity. This year the competition is in aid of World Vision and Water Aid.

Tiffin Club chairman Keith Vaz MP said: “We are delighted that Saffron has beaten off stiff competition to become one of the finalists in this year’s Tiffin Cup. This is a great tribute not only to Saffron but also to the constituency of Northampton South as a whole. We wish them the very best of luck for the final.”

Related topics:NorthamptonHouse of Commons