www.asianexpress.co.uk
October 2013 - 3rd Edition
Business
47
Invest in Yorkshire Aagrah raises £80K Bradford based Aagrah Group of Restaurant’s 31st Annual Charity Business Dinner was a great success, as acknowledged by sponsors and business guests alike attending this year’s gala dinner, which raised a staggering £80,000. The dinner was in aid of the Mosaic, a charity founded by HRH The Prince of Wales. Gyles Brandreth, TV personality and broadcaster, hosted the evening which included an amazing auction prize of one weeks stay at the 5 star, The Bonnington Hotel, Jumeriah Lakes, Dubai with return flights, kindly donated by the Bonnington and Eithad airlines. Among the inspirational keynote speakers were Nick Lane Fox, owner of Braham Park Estate, Aaqil Ahmed of the BBC and Michele Sutton OBE, CEO Bradford College who delivered passionate speeches on the theme of the dinner, Invest In Yorkshire. The black tie event provided a great opportunity for networking, with corporate and independent well established business leaders. The prestigious business dinner was held at the stunning Aagrah Midpoint Suite. The Charity Dinner started 31 years ago. The event endorsed Invest in Yorkshire as a theme, and Yorkshire as a booming business
destination, which is one of the most breathtaking scenic Shire counties in the UK and has many company headquarters based in this idyllic region. With easy travel access from all corners of the world, it has rapidly become a premiere international business & tourism destination. Often referred to as the business capital of the North, Yorkshire offers diverse business opportunities in finance, hospitality, retail, manufacturing professional and tourism and a greater return for investors on their investment. A cosmopolitan city, some of Yorkshire’s professionals and other workforces are a great asset for a business to explore new initiatives and to attract new target markets. Mohammed Aslam MBE, Managing Director of the Aagrah Group of Restaurants expressed his gratitude to all those who supported the event and helped to raise a magnificent amount. Aagrah is a big supporter of local community events and charities and was delighted to support the Mosiac charity for 2nd year running. Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2007, Mosaic’s mentoring programmes create opportunities for young people growing up in our most
deprived communities. Mosaic’s vision is for all young people to be supported to realise their potential. With the help of volunteer mentors acting as role models, they aim to bridge the aspirations-attainment gap. By linking young people with
inspirational role models in this way, they boost their confidence, self-efficacy and long-term employability. Jannat Welfare International Trust, Aagrah’s charitable wing was set up to coordinate all fundraising activities to provide
much needed funds for charities both here and abroad. With generous support from so many, it has raised close to £1.6 million to date. The money has helped countless charities both home and abroad and made a real difference to so many lives.
Welcome Ather Mirza Honouring British IBTC announce new board member The Indo British Trade Council (IBTC) announced the appointment of a new member last week as Ather Mirza joined the board. The Director of the University of Leicester News Centre, and a former journalist with the Leicester Mercury, Mr Mirza will work with IBTC to ensure the interests of higher education are represented in the work of the Council. He succeeds Professor Douglas Tallack, Pro-ViceChancellor (International) at the University of Leicester who retires at the end of the year. Mr Mirza also brings with him a wealth of experience with more than 30 years in the media industry. A graduate in English from the University of Leicester, with a postgraduate qualification in Education Marketing, he trained for his National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) proficiency award on the Leicester Mercury. It was here that the future educator worked for 11 years before joining the External Relations Office at the University f Leicester where he was former Head of Press and Alumni Relations and is now
Director of the News Centre. A former winner of a Commonwealth Press Union scholarship to India where he was attached to The Hindu newspaper, Mr Mirza has also free-lanced for national and international media. He has represented the University on a trade mission to India with the IBTC where he met with the former President of India Dr Abdul Kallam. On his most recent visit he was also in the presence of the current President Shree Pranab Mukherjee for the inauguration of the Maharaja Agrasen University in Himachal Pradesh. Mr Mirza is a former LABA Board member and edited the LABA magazine which was produced with the assistance of the University during his term of
office. Speaking about his appointment, the latest IBTC member said: “I look forward to working with like-minded people in order to harness their expertise so that our desire to work with Indian universities and businesses can be translated into real opportunities and tangible benefits. I have been impressed with the IBTC’s record of delivery and feel the link between the city, the universities and India can be strengthened through collaborative working.” Uday Dholakia, IBTC’s Chairman added: “Atherji is a renowned communicator and an outstanding journalist. As IBTC builds legacy based links with institutions in India and the UK, communication with them and the SME base in the UK and India will become demanding and in real time. “Added to this, IBTC has an impressive track record of encouraging spin-offs and collaboration in research between the universities and the private sector, Atherji will play a leading role in enhancing these links.”
curry chefs It certainly proved to be a marathon evening at the Lancaster Hotel, London, where guests gathered to see 44 of Britain’s best curry chefs receive awards. Guests included secretary of state Eric Pickles, renowned economist Lord Meghnad Desai and Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and one of the award’s longest standing sponsors. Culinary celebrities attending the event included Michelin star chefs Dominic Chapman and Atul Kochhar, the first Indian chef to win a star. It marked the culmination of a busy year for Dominic who has generously given his time to champion the cause of Britain’s curry chefs including travelling to Kolkata earlier this year for the Taste of Britain Curry Festival. The festival, which was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Kolkata, India, proved a great success with diners and gained huge media interest at home and abroad as the British took India’s national dish home. Lord Bilimoria admitted he ‘was in awe of what chefs do’ and applauded them for producing ‘some of the most complex and exotic food in the world at the cheapest prices.’ Lord Bilimoria also talked about
the importance of integrity in a world full of uncertainty and the fact that the curry industry’s high standards were allowing it to shake of the vestiges of recession. A recurring theme among the speakers was the need for greater female representation at the awards. Lord Desai, who had flown back from Australia earlier in the day, amusingly put it in perspective, saying: “It always amuses me that when men cook they are called chefs and when women cook they are called women. What we need to see is more female chefs winning awards.” The Curry Chef Awards duly responded in the shape of Ashrafun Nessa Begum from Cutler’s Spice restaurant, Sheffield, and Fahmida Chowdhury of Taj Cuisine, Lower Stoke, Kent, who both became the first women to reach the podium. It was something of a family affair for Ashrafun whose son, Allam Shah Ullah, is the participants of three previous Taste of Britain Curry Festival. Ashrafun said: “I am absolutely delighted. We’ve always been very proud of our food here at the Cutler’s Spice and it’s a great honour to be named the best curry chef in my area.”