His culinary skills will have no doubt impressed regulars at an Indian restaurant in Norwich and now they have curried him all the way to the top of a national catering competition.

Sundar Ali, head chef from Rishi Indian Restaurant on Mousehold Lane, won the Chef of the Year award for the East Anglia region out of all Indian restaurants in the area.

Mr Ali, 47, who has worked at the restaurant, formerly the Duke of Norfolk pub, for three years but has been in the industrty for 28 years, said: 'I was really surprised actually but I'm proud, I'm very proud of it.

'I was so nervous on that stage but when I got that award I was I was really proud. When after 28 years you get something like that you're really proud.'

Mr Ali added that he 'loved' working at Rishi, which opened in 2011, where his colleagues were 'excited' to see his success in the competition run by the Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA).

The awards, held at the Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge, London, earlier this month, were the 8th Annual BCA Awards which aimed to celebrate 53 years of the finest British Bangladeshi Cuisine within the UK.

Mr Ali won one of the 12 Chef of the Year Awards at the event which also saw 14 Caterer of the Year Awards presented as well as three honour awards in recognition of outstanding achievement in civic society and support to the British Bangladeshi community.

BCA Secretary General Mr M A Munim said: 'Recognising the Caterers and the Chefs creates an opportunity for us to promote their hard work, efforts and achievements to the wider audience.'

The Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA) was established in 1960 to represent the catering industry and has more than 4000 active members nationally.

Have your skills won you national recognition? Call reporter Peter Walsh on 01603 772436 or alternatively email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk