NEWS
08/01/2008
Bangladesh Businessman’s Achievement Recognised by Scottish Parliament
First Minister and Lord Provost Congratulate Hat-Trick Curry Award Winner
A special lunch took place on Tues 8th Jan to celebrate Britannia Spice’s hat-trick of wins (Best in Scotland 2005, 2006 & 2007) at the British Curry Awards.
The event was attended by over 100 guests including the First Minister for Scotland and Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, the Consul Generals for India, Sweden and Denmark, representatives from Edinburgh’s Napier, Heriot Watt and Queen Margaret universities (each of whom have awarded Dr Uddin honorary degrees in the last year), Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, business colleagues, family, friends, regular customers and press.
The Awards founder, and Spice Business Magazine editor, Mr Enam Ali AHCIMA, FRSA, made a special presentation to Chairman and Chief Executive Dr Wali Uddin MBE, JP. In addition to congratulating Britannia Spice on its remarkable achievement he highlighted the particular problems faced by the £3.2bn curry industry as a result of new immigration legislation.
Scotland’s First Minister, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh the Rt Hon George Grubb were also on hand to offer congratulations. The Lord Provost commented on the quality and diversity of restaurants now available in Edinburgh. The First Minister praised Dr Uddin for his “exceptional contribution to Scottish life over the last 30 years”, both as businessman and humanitarian, and stressed the value of “unity within diversity” in a multicultural Scotland. He said Scots should “celebrate the diversity which makes us special.” He also promised to make strong representations to the Home Secretary about the implications of the Immigration Bill to one of the UK’s most successful industries.
There was a further honour for the restaurant on Thursday with an official motion of congratulations in the Scottish Parliament:
“Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP would like to congratulate you on your continued success at the British Curry Awards, and, to that end, has put a motion down in the Scottish Parliament which reads:
"That the Parliament congratulates the Britannia Spice restaurant in Leith in winning the Best in Scotland award at the British Curry awards 2007; recognises the consistency shown by Britannia Spice in winning the award in each of the three years since their inauguration in 2005 and wishes the restaurant every success in the future." “
Dr Uddin said “I am honoured to receive this presentation on behalf of all the team at Britannia Spice. We have been singled out for the award but it also recognises the extremely high quality of restaurants and the hard work by businesses in Scotland.”
Photos by marc marnie.
For more press information, interviews, photos etc please call Morag Neil on 0771 288 0965 or email moragneil@blueyonder.co.uk