Arriving on Yorkshire’s doorstep for 15 days of flavours, sights and sounds from around the world is the spiciest food festival around – the World Curry Festival.
The countdown to Yorkshire’s ‘spiciest food festival’ has begun, with just over a week to go.
The World Curry Festival is a vibrant, fun and fresh event that brings people together in celebration of their love of food, culture and entertainment.
Traditionally held over a long weekend, the event has attracted a huge following since it was first established in Leeds in 2010. The festival now takes place in Yorkshire and Malaysia each year.
Zulfi Karim, Founder of the World Curry Festival, said he was excited to see this year’s festival span across both Bradford and Leeds, giving more people a chance to get involved.
“Our key objective is to bring people together and curry is a great way to do this,” he said.
“We have an exciting new format, which has created new venues and partners across the region. Special events include our launch at the magnificent Bradford Cathedral as well as an appearance from the legendary Ken Hom OB.
“We would like to thank our sponsors – Coca Cola Enterprises, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Morrisons, Mercedes-Benz of Bradford and Turkish Airlines, and our many supporters including Kala Sangam who will hosting our Food Exhibition at St Peter’s House during the Opening Weekender and BBC Radio Leeds our media partner.”
Between 15th September 15th and 29th September, more than 50 different events will be taking place – including an appearance by famous chef Ken Hom OBE, who will be attending the festival on the 29th to receive a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to developing and promoting Asian cuisine.
On 17th September, there will be an evening of curry-based banter with the festival’s patron, Hardeep Singh Kohli
Those lucky enough to see Hardeep perform will be treated to a hilarious, anecdote-packed show. The World Curry Festival will be serving a sumptuous curry buffet on the night – all included in the price.
Hardeep Singh Kohli first came to fame in 2004 with Channel 4’s Meet the Magoons which he wrote, directed and starred in. He has since appeared on numerous TV and Radio shows including The One Show, BBC’s Question Time, This Week with Andrew Neil, and Radio Four.
Hardeep’s love of food and sense of humour landed him the position of runner-up of the first ever series of Celebrity Masterchef.
The festival launches on Thursday 15th September at a gala dinner at Bradford Cathedral. Grand Master Chef Hemant Oberoi will oversee the preparations for the meal, which will be themed around the ‘Great British Curry’.
Highlights of the 15-day food festival include:
- An Opening Weekender in Bradford between Friday 16 to Sunday 18 September with three days of Street Food on Broadway; a food exhibition, masterclasses and cooking school at Kala Sangam Arts Centre; and an evening of curry and comedy with Hardeep Singh Kohli – also at Kala Sangam Arts Centre.
- A street food market showcasing fresh street food from around the world on Broadway in Bradford between Friday 16 and Sunday 18 September; and at Wellington Place in Leeds in thanks to MEPC on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 September.
- Pop-up Cookery Demos at Leeds Kirkgate Market between Monday 26 September and Thursday 29 September.
- Faith in Food events at churches, mosques, temples and synagogues across Bradford and Leeds throughout the festival.
A full programme of events is available online at www.worldcurryfestival.com
Organisers are inviting those with a passion for food and cultural events to get involved, a campaign support pack is available to download from the website. Follow @worldcurryfest on Twitter and Facebook for the latest festival news, programme announcements, competitions and events.
