A head chef from a Romford Indian restaurant has been named as Best Indian Chef in his region at a national awards ceremony.

The Asian and Oriental Chef Awards took place on June 21 and the live cook-off saw eight professional chefs competing to be crowned the winner.

Missing out on being named the overall winner, but triumphing in the regional section, Kamrul Hoque from Kushi in Gidea Park was named Best Indian Chef 2021 in the London Suburbs and was the overall runner-up in the competition.

Another Kushi chef from its Grays branch also won an award - Humayun Rashid was named the Best Indian Chef 2021 in the Essex region.

A presentation hosted by Lord Sheikh at the House of Lords has been postponed from July 5 to September 7, due to lockdown restrictions.

The awards, which are run by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF) and sponsored by Just Eat, represents all Asian cuisines from Indian to Singaporean.

Asian Catering Federation chairman and event organiser Yawar Khan said: “The pandemic has been devastating for the hospitality industry, but more forward-thinking chefs used their enforced lockdown to considerable effect, experimenting with different ingredients and taste fusions.

"The results have greatly impressed the judges."