Cafe Saffron in Shrewsbury is celebrating after winning a top national award at the Curry Life Awards 2022.
The team won the Curry Life Editor’s Choice Award at the glittering award ceremony held Grosvenor House London on 9 October.
Cafe Saffron opened in 2001 in Hill’s Lane, Shrewsbury, the restaurant, can accommodate up to 90 diners in its main area and a further 40 in a party room and offers fine dining cuisine in a contemporary setting.
Owner Mohammad Azad says he enjoys travelling abroad as much as he can, to destinations such as Bangladesh, Turkey, Malaysia and Egypt, trying out new spices and ingredients that he can adapt to the menu, with many of the restaurant’s dishes invented in-house.
Restaurant renovations
The restaurant was updated and renovated between 2021 and 2022, giving it a modern, sleek and contemporary look, with wooden floors, chairs and tables in keeping with its desire to offer refined Indian cuisine.
Cafe Saffron says it likes to go the extra mile for its diners, considering all dietary needs, whether customers require vegan or vegetarian options, or whether they are wheat intolerant or prefer more healthy choices.
It also prides itself on offering the freshest ingredients. “We’ve used the best-quality ingredients from day one and we make our own spices in-house,” says Azad. “We are very careful not to over spice our ingredients as this can impair the flavours – you can taste all the ingredients in our food and no two dishes taste the same.”
Award-winning, in-house creations on the menu include Tawa Labra and Capsilla, a dish with grilled lamb or chicken combined with honey, fresh ginger, and garlic, cooked in a sauce with spring onion. Like other restaurants, the cost of ingredients weighs heavily on Cafe Saffron, and it has increased its menu prices to cover the rising costs of utilities and produce. “We need to increase the costs in line with inflation and we think it’s better to focus on providing a quality experience for our customers,” says Azad.
Curry life magazine
Syed Belal Ahmed, the editor Curry Life said: “It’s been an adamant couple of years for restaurants, but we’re here to celebrate the best of the best. “It’s a matter of personal pride that curry is a national dish as fish and chips, reflected in the industry’s size. Our restaurateurs have great passion for their food and that is matched by the UK’s appetite.”
Curry Life Awards 2022 is sponsored by Just Eat, Cobra Beer, City Bank,
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