St Annes restaurant named Chinese & Thai Restaurant of the Year in NW at International Asian Restaurant Awards
There were just 27 winners out of a whopping 160 + restaurants, groups and takeaways nominated.
A popular St Annes restaurant has been named the Chinese and Thai Restaurant of the Year in the North West at a prestigious awards event.
The Zen Restaurant in Wood Street, St Annes was honoured at a glittering gala dinner in Manchester for the 10th International Asian Restaurant Awards.
Organised by the Asian Catering Federation, these awards recognise the industry’s outstanding culinary excellence, innovation, sumptuous creativity and hard work.
There were just 27 winners out of a whopping 160 + restaurants, groups and takeaways nominated. The winners covered the entire range of Asian cuisines and were chosen by a prestigious panel of judges consisting of highly experienced catering professionals, and experts from the catering industry and commerce.
Other Lancashire restaurants to be recognised were Kebabish Original in Blackburn, which won Asian Restaurant of the Year in the North West of England, and Sizzlerz in Preston, which won Asian Fusion Restaurant of the Year.
The awards were presented by Councillor Shaukat Ali - Lord Mayor of Manchester, Mohammad Jobayed Hosen - Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Afzal Khan - MP for Manchester Rusholme, Cllr Abdul Jabbar MBE - Deputy Leader of Oldham Council, Alderman Denise Laver - Lord Baron and many officials from the Federation’s supporters including Cobra, Kingfisher Beer, Work Permit Cloud and PayTap.
This year’s entertainment was provided by Bollywood singers Rubayyat Jahan and Raja Kaasheff, with dancing from the Angel Dancers and others.
The event was hosted by broadcast journalist and BBC TV News anchor Samantha Simmonds, with a guest appearance from Anisa Khan, owner of Bombay Pizza and finalist in the BBC flagship programme The Apprentice 2025.
Chair of the Asian Catering Federation Yawar Khan said: “Each year, at the Asian Restaurant Awards International in Manchester, we celebrate excellence in international cuisine, and this year’s winners truly deserve their places as best in the country.
“These are the businesses that make the Asian food industry continue to thrive, despite the many challenges faced by this sector. On behalf of the Asian Catering Federation I would like to sincerely congratulate them all.”