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A Maidenhead resident has been named Caterer of the Year at an awards celebrating the best curry houses and chefs nationwide.

Shilpam Bidasaria won the title for her home-based catering service Desi Flavorz at the 13th English Curry Awards at the Walsall FC Poundland Bescot Stadium on Monday, December 2.

Hundreds of businesses and individuals were nominated for more than 30 awards honouring the best South Asian eateries and the talented people behind them.

Those rewarded included chefs, restaurants, managers, takeaways, teams and curry schools – many renowned in the industry – and Shilpam said her award ‘came as a surprise’.

She was among ten finalists nominated for their catering prowess and received her accolade by DJ and presenter Tommy Sandhu at the ceremony organised by Oceanic Consulting.

Shilpam told the Advertiser: “It’s really great. Many big caterers were there, and my work and food were recognised as the best and it gave us more confidence to do even better.

“The competition was tough because the other finalists were quite big. I wasn’t expecting it.”

Shilpam launched Desi Flavorz in 2017, specialising in Indian vegetarian food, and continued to provide free meals to charities after the pandemic.

The St Mark’s Crescent resident scooped national recognition at the SHE Awards 2023 for her ‘outstanding culinary skills’ and says these two award wins in two years ‘means a lot’.

“It makes a big difference because when I won the SHE Awards, although I’m a small business, many people came to know about me and after that I was approached for three wedding catering jobs and they loved the food,” she added. “I hope these kinds of awards give us more recognition.”

A spokesperson for the 13th English Curry Awards 2024 said this year’s finalists represent the ‘crème de la crème of the English curry industry’.

With more than 400 guests in attendance on Monday, the ceremony saw the nation’s ‘curry connoisseurs’ gather to recognise the achievements of the curry sector, they said, adding:

“It was another memorable event that honoured the dedication and hard work of the nominees and celebrates the rich tapestry of flavours that the curry industry brings to the English culinary landscape.

“The Awards provide a platform to applaud the exceptional efforts of those who have made significant contributions to the curry sector and continue to elevate the nation’s love for curry. 

“We would like to congratulate all of our winners & highly commended recipients on their incredible accomplishments.” 

The owner of a home-grown catering business in Maidenhead has been recognised for her culinary skills at a national awards ceremony. 

Shilpam Bidasaria, 46, was one of 10 finalists from across the UK to be nominated for her "Outstanding Culinary Skills" at SHE Awards 2023, which recognised the achievements of women from all walks of life.

Shilpam was marked by 5 judges, including a previous SHE Award- winner, from Maidenhead and won a first place trophy for her category.

Discussing her win, Shilpam said: "It's made me feel so so special. I am very thankful to the organisers and judges for recognising me." 

The 6th annual SHE Awards took place on Wednesday, March 8th, celebrating International Women's Day at the Prince Regent Hotel in Chigwell. It brought together over 300 people from across the UK.

BBC Radio presenter, Noreen Khan, hosted the event and judges included a former Masterchef Finalist and 5 time paralympian gold medalist.

Maidenhead business owner, Sophia Choudry, returned to judge the awards this year after she won a SHE Award in the business category in 2021.

She said the judging process was "extremely tough with that much talent in the room".

Sophia, 44, invented 'Rotibox' a mess free solution to make homemade rotis and launched her business in 2020, after 4 years of setbacks and failed prototypes.

The White Waltham resident: "Being an entrepreneur can be lonely, but the SHE Award validates and recognises hard work. It feels like everyone has a fair chance."

Shilpam took her love of hosting dinnern parties and passion for cooking as an opportunity to launch her catering business, Desi Flavorz, in 2017, specialising in Indian vegetarian food.

During the pandemic, she provided over 1000 meals for NHS staff in surrounding hospitals and delivered meals to Maidenhead Foodshare and The Brett Foundation.

The St Marks Crescent resident currently caters for more than 500 clients and continues to provide free meals to a local youth community charity in Maidenhead.

SHE Awards founder, Sharifa Begum, said: "We have seen women go from strength to strength because these awards give them confidence. They have grown and have gone onto bigger things. That's what our platform is about"