AN ELLESMERE Port restaurant has been shortlisted for Asian Restaurant of the Year, as the sole representative from the Cheshire West area.

Purple Olive, which is found on Chester Road in Little Sutton, has been selected as part of the Asian Curry Awards 2022. The shortlist will be whittled down by public vote before judges determine the eventual winners ahead of a ceremony at London's Grosvenor House next month.

This year winners will also be included in the ACF’s new ‘One Hundred Top Curry Restaurants’ guide, which is being published currently, region–by–region across the UK, with a printed version being available next year.

The event, organised by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which represents the nation’s 30,000 restaurant and takeaways, are the only accolades acknowledging the full panoply of Asian cuisines, is widely regarded as the sector’s most prestigious.

The Asian Curry Awards cover all Asian and Oriental cuisines: Bangladeshi, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Another Ellesmere Port Asian restaurant was in the news earlier this year when Hollywood actor and co-owner of Wrexham Football Club, Ryan Reynolds praised the Light of India takeaway for having best Indian food in Europe, however the Purple Olive stands alone on the ACF's prestigious list.

Chairman of the ACF, Yawar Khan, says that the awards can be a crucial factor for the success of a restaurant.

"Every week I hear from another owner closing their restaurant because they cannot see an end in sight to the economic situation – but an award win can bring a massive upsurge in trade," said Khan.

"For customers wanting to help their favourite restaurants survive, their votes can be crucial."

Spice lovers can vote for their favourite Asian restaurants and takeaways via www.asiancurryawards.com.

For the ACF's 'One Hundred Top Curry Restaurants' guide, check out: www.Top100curryRestaurants.co.uk.