A curry chef from a Chesham restaurant has been named one of the best in the country after landing a top award.

Ashrafur Rahman, a chef at the Papad restaurant in Broad Street, was voted Asian and Oriental Chef of the Year for the south east at the 2014 Asian Curry Awards.

He received his gong in front of more than 1,000 leading Asian restaurateurs, VIPs and dignitaries at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane.

He said: "I’m completely taken aback and so pleasantly surprised. I really didn’t expect such an accolade, especially when you know that you are competing with a highly talented and select band of other chefs.

"I’m very honoured by this award. It’s a very fine testament to all the hard work my kitchen team and I have put into the cooking and how our clientele have appreciated it."

Restaurant proprietor Hiron Miah said: "Ever since it opened Papad has proved to be very popular with locals and those further afield. Our chef winning at the Asian Curry Awards gives us such a tremendous boost and a real shot of confidence in what we are doing.

"We are eternally grateful to our very regular and loyal customers, who remain so praiseworthy of what we have to offer."