A number of individuals from the hospitality industry were recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours this weekend.
World champion sommelier Gerard Basset, Judy Hargadon, chief executive of the School Food Trust, Stephen Magorrian, managing director of Botanic Inns, and Namita Panjabi, co-founder of Masala World were awarded OBEs, with award-winning pastry chef Claire Clark receiving a MBE.
NAMITA PANJABI OBE
Namita Panjabi, her husband Ranjit Mathrani and her sister Camellia are the masterminds behind the award-winning Masala World restaurant group that specialises in authentic regional Indian cuisine prepared by specialist chefs. Masala World owns three upmarket restaurants in London - Chutney Mary, Veeraswamy and the Michelin-starred Amaya - and also operates in the midmarket with the Masala Zone brand.
The restaurants all offer a different slant. Chutney Mary, in Chelsea, serves cuisine from diverse regions, while Veeraswamy focuses on food from the north and west of India. Amaya, in Belgravia, is based around ancient grill techniques, while Masala Zones are hip cafés offering street food and thalis for less than £14 a head
Namita said: "This is a heartening acknowledge of our effort to bring real Indian food to the UK. It is also a tribute to the role and teamwork of our 500 employees at Masala World. It is, however, a pity that this work is going to be eroded by the misguided immigration policy of the British government."
World champion sommelier Gerard Basset, Judy Hargadon, chief executive of the School Food Trust, Stephen Magorrian, managing director of Botanic Inns, and Namita Panjabi, co-founder of Masala World were awarded OBEs, with award-winning pastry chef Claire Clark receiving a MBE.
NAMITA PANJABI OBE
Namita Panjabi, her husband Ranjit Mathrani and her sister Camellia are the masterminds behind the award-winning Masala World restaurant group that specialises in authentic regional Indian cuisine prepared by specialist chefs. Masala World owns three upmarket restaurants in London - Chutney Mary, Veeraswamy and the Michelin-starred Amaya - and also operates in the midmarket with the Masala Zone brand.
The restaurants all offer a different slant. Chutney Mary, in Chelsea, serves cuisine from diverse regions, while Veeraswamy focuses on food from the north and west of India. Amaya, in Belgravia, is based around ancient grill techniques, while Masala Zones are hip cafés offering street food and thalis for less than £14 a head
Namita said: "This is a heartening acknowledge of our effort to bring real Indian food to the UK. It is also a tribute to the role and teamwork of our 500 employees at Masala World. It is, however, a pity that this work is going to be eroded by the misguided immigration policy of the British government."