Balti Spice, a restaurant in St Helens, Merseyside, has been nominated for its fifth award in five years. Owner Steve Chowdhury, who has run the restaurant for 18 years, says he does not take the support he receives for granted.
A Lifelong Journey in St Helens
Steve, 63, moved from India to the UK when he was 14. He told the ECHO: "My restaurateur journey has been largely in St Helens, and I've learnt the business through the various curry houses I've worked at in the town."
"I've never moved from here because I've got to know a lot of very lovely people who have followed me from restaurant to restaurant and these are the people I want to serve. Many have stayed customers of Balti Spice for the last 18 years and lots of them have become good friends."
"The people of St Helens are loyal fans, and we also have people coming from Liverpool and further away. There's even people who move abroad who make sure they drop in to see us on visits back to the UK, and we don't take that for granted."
A Welcoming Atmosphere
Pam Case, 62, from Rainhill, is a long-time friend of Steve's and the social media manager of Balti Spice. She told the ECHO: "He's very humble and doesn't like being in the limelight but people who get to know him absolutely adore him."
"People have been following him from restaurant to restaurant throughout his career progression. Now, when they come into his own restaurant they always want to tell you how long they've known him and it's like bragging rights. I'm so proud of him and he's an incredible person."
"He really loves people and he makes everyone feel heard and welcomed. The restaurant has this atmosphere were the regulars start to get to know each other and they fast become part of what we call the Balti family."
Why Balti Spice Stands Out
Pam believes it is the combination of Steve's culinary talent and his personality that is behind Balti Spice's popularity. She said: "In a lot of Indian restaurants the food has a layer of oil on top but our food is all about the flavour of fresh ingredients instead of oil."
"The restaurant is small and the décor isn't anything special but it's genuine and there's no pretensions. It's a restaurant with amazing food that has a pub atmosphere so people feel comfortable and at home."
"It's one of those places you visit because someone recommended it and then you don't want to leave. I always joke that we should rename it the Hotel California because your heart's stuck in it and you can't leave."
Award Recognition
Balti Spice has been nominated for the Northern England Curry Awards in the "Merseyside Curry Experience of the Year" category. If they win, it will be their fifth award in five years.
The award recognises and rewards restaurants, takeaways, and individuals who continue to raise the bar for quality, innovation and customer service across the north. Finalists are selected through a combination of public nominations and industry recognition, with voting open until one week prior to the event on September 1.
Oceanic Awards said: "The standard of entries this year has been exceptional, and this year’s finalists truly represent the very best our industry has to offer. These businesses have demonstrated remarkable dedication, passion and commitment to delivering outstanding food and service to their customers. We congratulate every finalist on this well-deserved recognition and wish them the very best of luck."
A Meaningful Hat-Trick
Steve said Balti Spice were asked to submit supporting evidence of why they deserve to win "Merseyside Curry Experience of the Year". He said: "We told them we've won the local paper's 'Best For Curry' Award for three years on the run. They were all down to a public vote which made it a meaningful hat-trick."
"Last year saw our fourth win in as many years and we won 'Outstanding Indian Restaurant' at the Northern England Curry Awards so to be a finalist with them again this year is incredible. It feels like a reward for the effort we put into our food, our welcome and our customer care."
