An Indian restaurant fought off tough competition to be crowned the best in Bucks at an annual awards ceremony celebrating the country’s finest curries. 

Mela Aston Clinton in Aylesbury, London Road won 'Best Indian Restaurant' in the county at the 2021 Euro Asia Curry Awards. 

Held at Mayfair Venue in Romford on November 15, the prestigious annual awards celebrate the very best curry eateries in the UK and the talented, hardworking people behind them.  

Owner Abdul Ashik, known as Ash, said he was delighted with the award. 

He added: “It means a lot after such a difficult 18 months.

“The pandemic was very hard on the business and on top of that we also lost some close friends.

“But I would like to thank my fantastic colleagues for their hard work, and the local community for supporting us throughout.” 

Mela Aston Clinton, which has a host of five star reviews on Trip Advisor, has been serving contemporary Indian food since 2002.  

More than 200 restaurants and takeaways serving curries, from Indian to Thai, were nominated for this year’s awards.

A panel of expert judges travelled around the country to find out who offered the finest cuisine, customer service and atmosphere, before picking the winners.  

The Euro Asia Curry Awards were set up in 2015 by Bangladeshi chef Shorif Kahn, who has 20 years of industry experience behind him including cooking for a number of well-known figures, such asTheresa May.  

Shorif said it was more important than ever to celebrate excellence in the industry, when so many restaurants had been badly hit by the pandemic. 

He added: “After such a difficult period for restaurants up and down the country, it feels fantastic to be able to showcase and celebrate some of the most talented and hardworking people in our industry.  

“Not only do these businesses contribute a huge amount to the UK economy, they’re also loved by their communities. It’s wonderful to see them all open again and thriving.”