FOUR years ago Afzal Hassan became the new owner of Bombay Lounge with big plans to relaunch the business and make it a success.
The 36-year-old proved he has the magic touch as the Winsford Indian venue has just been awarded the title of Best Curry 2022.
Since its launch at the end of April, the Best of 2022 competition has named winners in 19 different categories.
Top honours for hair, nails, beauty, fitness, gym, children and independent shop have been given out as well as those for fish and chips, pies, pubs, beer garden, café, breakfast, afternoon tea, roast dinner, pizza, burger and dessert already decided.
Voting is currently taking place in the latest round of the competition with the award for Best Restaurant 2022 up for grabs, with the closing date of midnight on Monday, September 12.
Next up we were searching for the area’s best curry and Bombay Lounge on Wharton Road came out on top.
The premier Indian restaurant and bar has also been shortlisted for Best Restaurant 2022, so Afzal and his hard-working team clearly have all the right ingredients for a successful business.
They promise a “dining experience to remember with mouth-watering food”.
One review on their Facebook page said: “They are quite rightly being noticed by customers from further afield.
“It’s outstanding!”
Afzal, who has twenty years’ experience in the restaurant and catering business, said: “When I came to the restaurant four years ago it was called Bombay Tea Lounge.
“I could see the potential and knew that with a refurb and a relaunch I could make it a success.
“People living in Winsford were travelling out of town to eat out when they should have been staying local, so I wanted to make the restaurant attractive to diners again.”
Popular dishes on the menu at Bombay Lounge include Bombay firecracker, which is slices of chicken tikka and nagas - extra hot chilis from Bangladesh - and mezbani lamb, which is slow cooked and full of rich flavour with special spices.
These dishes are only available to customers dining in the restaurant but visitors collecting takeaways or ordering deliveries from Bombay Lounge can enjoy meals that are just as tasty.
It was these deliveries and takeaways that kept the restaurant afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic and Afzal says his customers were very supportive.
He said: “We managed to offer takeaways and deliveries during the local and national lockdowns and it saved us from having to close completely.
“It was a challenging time for us, as it was for all restaurants, but the whole community pulled together and we were able to keep the business open.”
He added: “I’m so pleased to have won Best Curry 2022.
“It’s credit to our loyal customers and our hard-working team.
“Our chefs create the dishes, the customers like what they eat and then they’ve voted for us.
“I was waiting for something spectacular to happen, when I opened the restaurant four years ago, and winning this award is just what we needed - it's a game changer.”
The restaurant is open seven days a week between 5.30pm and 10.30pm Monday to Saturday and from 5pm until 9.45pm each Sunday.
For more details go to facebook.com/bombayloungewinsford
To see the other shortlisted restaurants that are in the running for Best Restaurant 2022 and to cast your vote, visit northwichguardian.co.uk/news/20966618.guardian-best-2022-eight-best-restaurants
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