Babul's Darlington named best restaurant in the North East

Babul's, which operates restaurants in Barnard Castle and Darlington was given the accolade at the Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (ARTAs) on Sunday (October 6) in London.

Originally named Spice Island, the restaurant was well-known across County Durham and Darlington for 25 years before it was re-branded as Babul’s in 2019.

This is just the first accolade for the chain which has been nominated for several upcoming awards this winter.

Zak Ahmed of Babul's told The Northern Echo: "Part of the team went down to the ceremony in London - for some of them it was their first time there.

"They were just in awe of the city - the event was swanky and everyone was all dressed up. It was amazing just being there.

"There were local celebrities and some of the biggest people in the industry too that we were able to network with."

Babul's Darlington. (Image: BABULS) When asked how it feels, Zak said it's hard to put it into words but it is a positive accolade to receive.

He added: "This gives us that belief that we are doing things right and hard work does pay off. 

"People were coming up to the team and knew who we were. We have won and even if we don't win any more we have won one at least.

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"The key is that we are in it with big names, the top dogs in the industry."

Here is the full list of awards the chain has been nominated for.

• The Asian Restaurant Takeaway Awards (ARTAs) on October 6
• The North East Bangladeshi Awards on October 7
• The National Curry Awards on October 21
• The Bangladeshi Catering Association Awards on October 28
• Curry Life Awards on October 13
• The Asian Curry Awards on November 17