ARTA Magazine
Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (ARTA), the most prestigious celebration of South Asian cuisine in the UK. The Asian catering industry is valued at approximately £5 billion. Even so, over the years the industry has witnessed a steep downturn. This decline is largely attributed to the shortage of skilled workers in the hospitality sector, from a lack of talented chefs all the way through to front of house staff. This is due to the UK’s stringent immigration policy relating to skilled workers from outside the EU, coupled with a palpable sense of disinterest among younger people or job seekers with regard to the hospitality sector. The ARTA initiative has involved addressing this insufficiency. Through reaching out to current and prospective students at the regional cook-offs, ARTA has established a program of youth engagement that will help revitalise the food industry by targeting a demographic that is crucial to the future prosperity of the sector. As ARTA has been working with colleges nationwide, it has introduced the industry and prospective workers to one another, inspiring a symbiotic relationship.
Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (ARTA), the most prestigious celebration of South Asian cuisine in the UK. The Asian catering industry is valued at approximately £5 billion. Even so, over the years the industry has witnessed a steep downturn. This decline is largely attributed to the shortage of skilled workers in the hospitality sector, from a lack of talented chefs all the way through to front of house staff. This is due to the UK’s stringent immigration policy relating to skilled workers from outside the EU, coupled with a palpable sense of disinterest among younger people or job seekers with regard to the hospitality sector. The ARTA initiative has involved addressing this insufficiency. Through reaching out to current and prospective students at the regional cook-offs, ARTA has established a program of youth engagement that will help revitalise the food industry by targeting a demographic that is crucial to the future prosperity of the sector. As ARTA has been working with colleges nationwide, it has introduced the industry and prospective workers to one another, inspiring a symbiotic relationship.
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“Over the last few years I have valued my relationship<br />
with curry restaurant owners across the country. Each<br />
and every one demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit,<br />
taking business risks to provide for their families<br />
and of course to give a fantastic experience to their<br />
customers.<br />
We often talk about the very real pressures that<br />
the hospitality sector faces but too rarely do we<br />
celebrate the key things that make curry restaurants a<br />
cornerstone in both our economy and our culture.<br />
<strong>ARTA</strong> does exactly that. I welcome the innovation<br />
shown by its founders and the upbeat, celebratory way<br />
that these awards allows each restaurant and chef to<br />
be involved through the nomination process and the<br />
regional cook-offs. In getting customers involved<br />
through their feedback and nominations, <strong>ARTA</strong> gives<br />
each restaurant another opportunity to market its<br />
food and dining experience. Chefs travelling to the<br />
cook-offs means that they can show the detail, the<br />
skill, the pride that goes into each signature dish.<br />
This truly brings to life the awards, meaning that each<br />
winner can clearly demonstrate that they are the best<br />
of the best.<br />
I wish <strong>ARTA</strong> well for the first awards ceremony and<br />
look forward to working with everyone to make it<br />
even bigger and better in years to come. The country<br />
had a great boost over the summer with the football<br />
World Cup. I hope the curry restaurant sector will have<br />
a similar boost with the first curry World Cup!”<br />
5
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