Chances are if you’re from Birmingham, you’ve proudly told someone that your hometown invented the Balti. Dubbed the ‘Curry Capital’ of the UK, the city has something for everyone when it comes to curry; from your Friday night takeaway to your fine Indian dining. So it’s no surprise that charity LoveBrum is making the most of the Brummie love for curry for its annual ‘Curry King of Birmingham’ fundraiser.
Following on from last year’s debut, Curry King of Birmingham will return to the ICC, Birmingham on Thursday 16 November with hundreds of guests creating their very own curry whilst enjoying a delicious dinner prepared by the experts. As Bobby Davro opens the event in his true belly-laughing style, each table will nominate a ‘chef’ to deliver the table’s chosen spices to a chef on stage who will then cook up the creation ready to be judged by an esteemed – if not terrifying – panel of experts who will choose this year’s Curry King (or Queen) of Birmingham.
LoveBrum is pulling out all the stops for next month’s event, with 10 of the region’s finest foodies judging the culinary creations; esteemed food writer Paul Fulford will join fellow writer Anita Champeneri from Delicious PR, and Asian Today and Birmingham Awards organiser, Anita Chumber, on the panel. Restauranteurs Aktar Islam (Lasan Group), Rai Singh (Praza and Pushkar), and Raj Rana (Itihaas) will also lend their expertise to the evening’s competition. The ‘Black Country’s Master of Food’ Nitisha Patel will be joined by founder of Miss Macaroon, Rosie Ginday, and Soul Tree Wine’s Gorvinder Singh, on the panel. Additionally, the most recent judge to be announced is the wonderful Richard Turner from Turners at 69.
Returning judge Aktar Islam, commented:
“I’m delighted to be part of Curry King of Birmingham once again this year; celebrating our city – and nation’s – favourite cuisine in such a fun way… it’s an event like no other!
“I’m so proud to be involved with the amazing work that LoveBrum does, as it really goes above and beyond when it comes to supporting the city’s unsung heroes and bringing communities together. The fact that this event will allow support to those who really need it only makes it a more wonderful event to get involved with; whether that’s judging, entering or simply attending.”
Curry King of Birmingham is all about fusing food, fun and fundraising in the most exciting way. Described as ‘black tie, but not as you know it,’ the event is all about interaction and participation, with each table joining together to create their curry ready for judging. In addition to the competition, there are also a host of great opportunities for guests to raise money for LoveBrum, including an interactive quiz, raffle, silent auction, and a live auction – with every single penny raised going directly to the local causes that LoveBrum supports.
To add to the evening’s entertainment, six-piece band HouseJammerz will be playing 80s classics, followed by a DJ set from Rob Holliday of The Prodigy / Marilyn Manson.
With headline sponsors East End Foods and SimkissGuy Recruitment joining forces with drinks sponsor Swallow Drinks, Curry King of Birmingham 2017 is an event like no other!
Tickets cost £90, with tables of 10 also available, from ticketlist.co.uk/curryking.
All proceeds from Curry King of Birmingham will go to LoveBrum, a charity that prides itself on unearthing and supporting hidden gem projects within the city, in particular ones that may not have access to the support and exposure they need. The charity aims to profile around 40 causes per year, with 12 receiving £2,000 funding complemented by a year of business support. These projects are promoted as part of a monthly vote, where members find out about a cause every week and vote for their favourite at the end of the month.