KEBAB AWARDS PRESENTED IN THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

Awards were presented to the kebab industry in various categories, with over 50 Members of Parliament and the House of Lords attending. The Awards were judged by a panel that included Onder Sahan, the Founder of Tas and Hazev restaurants, Osman Cinik, the Founder of the “The Best Kebab House” which made the doner kebab so popular and the experienced highly respected veteran accountant Altan Kemal.

The Awards, which were sponsored by Docklands Academy, London were presented to the following winners:

Best Kebab establishments in London: Lahore Kebab House, Antepliler Restaurant, Istanbul Kebab House, The Best Turkish Kebab, and Archways Kebab.

Best Kebab establishments outside London: The Alternative Take-Aways (Cumbria), Best Kebab (Bournemouth), Turkish Delight (Manchester), Marmaris (Bath).

Establishments servicing the kebab industry and wholesalers: Star Catering Supplies, and Veli’s Kebab Manufacturer.

Contributions to the development of the kebab industry: Kazim Akkus of Efes 2 Restaurant.

HUGE INTEREST FROM BRITISH POLITICIANS

The event was presented by Asli Ozen and the opening speech was delivered by the host, Nadhim Zahawi. He expressed his delight and pleasure in supporting an event that aims to bring recognition and raise the standards of the kebab industry, which employs 150,000 people UK-wide and has a turnover of over £2 billion. Mr. Zahawi, Conservative MP for Stratford-upon-Avon (Cons), pointed out that the first kebab house recently opened in his constituency and that kebab establishments have spread to some of the most remote parts of the country, becoming a part of the socio-economic culture of the UK population.

Dr. Ozgur H. Cinar, Principal of Docklands Academy, London, spoke about how the Catering and Restaurant Management Course developed by Docklands Academy, London aims to provide much-needed training for the kebab catering industry. Dr. Cinar said that as an Academy that attracts students from all over the world, delivering a variety of courses, it was an honour to host and sponsor the British Kebab Awards. He also drew attention to the results of recent research that highlighted the extent of the doner kebab industry. The “UK Kebab Industry” which was published by Docklands Academy, London was distributed during the ceremony. Copies are available from Docklands Academy, London by telephone (0207 515 995) or by email: [email protected].

The evening was attended by Alok Sharma, the Conservative Party Vice Chairman, Keith Vaz, Chairman of the Home Select Committee, Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim Minister of the UK and a Shadow Minister, and Hackney MP Diana Abbott (Labour Party). The attendees also included Ministers from areas where there is a high concentration of people from Turkey, namely Nick De Bois, Andy Love, Meg Hillier and David Burrows.