David Cameron applauds UK curry industry for bringing country together

02-Dec-2014 - Last updated on 02-Dec-2014 at 15:13 GMT

The British Curry Awards 2014 took place at the Battersea Evolution in London on 1 December

Prime Minister David Cameron has said that the British public’s love of UK curry restaurants is a ‘great example of our whole country coming together’.

In a speech for the British Curry Awards 2014, which took place at the Battersea Evolution in London on 1 December, Cameron also cited the industry as an example of the ‘incredible contribution’ of the UK’s Asian communities.

He was backed up by MP Theresa May, whose speech at the awards lauded the curry industry for ‘much more’ than its ‘tremendous economic contribution’ to the country.

“It’s about the way you’ve become so much a part of the British way of life,” she said to attendees from the curry industry. “Your businesses are as familiar and as much loved as the local pub.”

More than 100 short-listed restaurants attended the awards ceremony, which is now in its tenth year. Restaurants were nominated by members of the public, with 206,378 nominations being received in total.

Video: British Curry Awards 2014