Councillor Robert Aldridge, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh was present at a special ceremony in Edinburgh’s City Chambers this week where he accepted an award naming Edinburgh as Scotland’s Curry Capital.
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00:00We're also a world hub for culture, not just because we're home to the globally renowned
00:06festivals, but also because we celebrate the rich traditions of our diverse city with faith-based
00:14festivals, community festivals, neighbourhood and civil society events, and the achievements
00:20of our active citizens. And as we've returned after the pandemic to the usual colour-filled
00:27musical rhythms of the city, our local, our national and our international visitors and
00:33students have come back in droves. This means that our famous hospitality and traditional
00:41fare is now back to full strength. And of course, by famous hospitality and traditional fare,
00:46I don't just mean whisky and haggis. It of course also includes our fantastic multicultural flavours,
00:56tastes and aromas. So I'm absolutely chuffed to bits to hear that at the 16th Scottish Curry
01:04Awards last month, Edinburgh was named as Curry Capital of Scotland, and we're here to receive
01:12that award later today. Absolutely delighted about that. And it was also superb to hear that six
01:19Edinburgh curry restaurants also received recognition. Now these Curry Awards spotlight
01:26Scotland's rich and diverse curry tastes and encourages the continued growth and evolution
01:32of the industry. Winning this national award acknowledges the very high quality of curry
01:39restaurants right across Edinburgh, and that our curry producers contribute to making Edinburgh
01:46a culinary hotspot. I was hearing about an excellent restaurant I'm going to come and visit shortly.
01:54I understand that in the last five years alone, there's been more curry restaurants opening in
02:00Edinburgh than anywhere else, especially since we've come out of the pandemic, and currently
02:05there are around 200 curry restaurants across Edinburgh, offering an amazing diversity and
02:12selection for our citizens, workers and visitors. And it's not just the traditional curries, it's
02:17also experiments with the new industry, which is absolutely tremendous. And it's the quality
02:25of these restaurants which is attracting a new and a more diverse clientele with different themes
02:32and extensive menus. So I think the curry sector can only grow as Edinburgh continues to be a
02:38leading hub for international visitors and transnational students and so on. And so on
02:44behalf of the people of Edinburgh and importantly those in the city who work within Edinburgh's
02:50curry scene, I will shortly be very pleased to accept the Scottish Curry Capital Award. It's a
02:59fantastic recognition of the talent, the dedication and the imagination of our curry chefs, and a
03:07reflection of the diverse cultures and traditions in the city. Now clearly, restaurants in Edinburgh
03:15have distinguished yourselves with your exceptional quality, your innovation and your consistency
03:23in offering a truly memorable dining experience. And I know that chefs and staff will continue to
03:30work tirelessly to keep the city's curry reputation alive. We've got to keep winning this.
03:35So to the Scottish Curry Capital Award organisers and decision makers, I'm very grateful to you that
03:42you've chosen our great city for this fantastic award. And I'm sure, absolutely confident that
03:49our curry creators will live up to the status of the award and that the sector will continue to
03:56deliver high quality products and new mouth-watering, flavoursome and tempting menu options for us all
04:03to sample and put for the future. And myself in particular this evening, got my appetite waiting.
04:09So thank you very much indeed. Thank you.