Southall's famous Western Road curry house wins top prize in ITV Awards

 Dipna receiving the award with Shanker Anand, and father Gulu Anand

A Southall restaurant has been named Britain’s best in an ITV awards ceremony.

The Brilliant Restaurant was crowned Best Family-Run Restaurant in ITV’s first Food & Drinks Awards, hosted by Stephen Fry celebrating the unsung heroes and high achievers of the industry from across the nation.

Judges praised the Southall restaurant and the family behind it more than 45 years after the business was launched by brothers, Gulu and Kewal Anand in Southall in 1975, using their father’s Punjabi-Kenyan recipes and cooking styles. 

Dipna Anand

Gulu now runs the restaurant with his son, Shanker and daughter, Dipna Anand who followed her passion for cooking by graduating with a master’s in food and hospitality from UWL in Ealing before returning to put her skills to use in the family business.

Speaking about the ITV award, she said: “To win something like this from ITV is huge and the biggest thing to happen to our family and business.

“My dad is so incredibly proud of how far we have come since he opened the first restaurant with his brother all those years ago. My uncle passed away this year but would have been so pleased to see how far we have all come.

“Food has always been a massive part of my life, and so has the restaurant where me and my brother would go as a child. Our recipes have been handed down over three generations now and my brother’s children are starting to get involved. It is lovely for our whole family.”

Dipna has gone on to make a name for herself in television, writing cookery books and running classes. She continues to work closely with students at UWL’s London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism (LGCHT) to give guest lectures and speak about food and cookery.

James Edmunds, Dean of LGCHT said: “This is an incredible achievement for Dipna and her family, and it is inspiring to see her using the skills she learnt with us to continue this family legacy. She is an inspiration to all of our students looking to carve out their own careers in the hospitality industry.”

February 11th 2020