Enam Ali
{{Short description|Bangladeshi-born British businessman (1960–2022)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Enam Ali
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|list=MBE FRSA}}
| image = Enam Ali MBE.JPG
| image_size = 220px
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| native_name = {{Nobold|এনাম আলি}}
| native_name_lang = bn
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1960|12|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = Sylhet District, Sylhet Division, East Pakistan
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|07|17|1960|12|01|df=y}}
| death_place = London, England
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| nationality = British
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| occupation = Businessman, publisher, editor
| years_active = 1989–2022
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| style = Bangladeshi, Indian Cuisine
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| spouse = S Ali
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| children = 3
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| website = {{URL|http://www.enamali.co.uk}}
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Enam Ali {{Post-nominals|list=MBE FRSA}} ({{Langx|bn|এনাম আলি}}; 1 December 1960 – 17 July 2022) was a Bangladeshi-born British businessman who founded The British Curry Awards, Spice Business Magazine, and Ion TV.
Early life
Ali was born in Sylhet District,{{cite news |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/obituary/british-curry-award-founder-enam-ali-no-more-459958 |title=British Curry Award founder Enam Ali is no more |work=The Business Standard |date=17 July 2022 |access-date=18 July 2022}} East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In 1974, he went to the United Kingdom to study law but decided to pursue a degree in hospitality and management. While studying he worked part-time for the Taj Mahal restaurant group.{{cite news |url=http://www.theasians.co.uk/story/20110910_enam_ali_curry |title=Enam Ali, the 'Curry Prince' of Britain |work=The Asians |date=10 September 2011 |access-date=1 December 2012 |archive-date=6 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106110024/http://www.theasians.co.uk/story/20110910_enam_ali_curry |url-status=dead }}
Career
He opened restaurant Le Raj in 1989. In 1990, he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.{{cite web |url=http://www.resthof.co.uk/enamali.htm |title=Enam Ali MBE, AHCIMA FIH, FRSA |publisher=Restaurant Hall of Fame |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005224754/http://www.resthof.co.uk/enamali.htm |archive-date=5 October 2011 |access-date=2 April 2011}}
In 1998, Ali launched Spice Business Magazine, a quarterly trade publication featuring articles in English and Bengali with information on the restaurant sector as well as community news. The magazine's average quarterly readership was more than 100,000.{{cite web |url=http://www.britbangla.net/successprofiles.html#enam |title=Enam Ali |work=British Bengali Success Stories |publisher=BritBangla |access-date=6 May 2011}}
In 2005, Ali founded The British Curry Awards to recognize excellence in the UK curry industry and raise awareness of top British curry restaurants.{{cite web |url=http://www.britishcurryaward.co.uk/charity_2010.html |title=Enam Ali – a charitable man |publisher=The British Curry Awards |year=2010 |access-date=15 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227051808/http://www.britishcurryaward.co.uk/charity_2010.html |archive-date=27 February 2012}}
In 2012, the restaurant he founded, Le Raj, was selected as one of the official food suppliers of the 2012 London Summer Olympics.{{cite news |url=http://www.theasians.co.uk/story/20120901_enam_leraj_olympics |title=Enam Ali introduced Asian food in Olympics 2012 |work=The Asians |date=1 September 2012 |access-date=1 December 2012}} It supplied Bangladeshi halal curry and iftar during Ramadan for 17 days during the Olympics.{{cite news |url=http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_06-09-2012_Bangladeshi-owned-restaurant-in-UK-gets-Olympic-relay-torch-to-display_253_1_0_3_8.html |title=Bangladeshi-owned restaurant in UK gets Olympic relay torch to display |newspaper=Daily Sun |date=6 September 2012 |access-date=1 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017144550/http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_06-09-2012_Bangladeshi-owned-restaurant-in-UK-gets-Olympic-relay-torch-to-display_253_1_0_3_8.html |archive-date=17 October 2013}}
Ali became a director and president of the British-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce, which was created in 1991.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbcc.org.uk/directors.php |title=Board of Directors |publisher=British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce |access-date=2 April 2011 |archive-date=19 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219185035/http://www.bbcc.org.uk/directors.php |url-status=dead }} He was a contributor and consultant for the hospitably industry, focusing on curry cuisine.{{cite news |last=Westland |first=Naomi |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/23/curry-crisis-heats-up-in-britain/ |title=Curry crisis heats up in Britain |newspaper=The Washington Times |date=23 April 2014 |access-date=22 May 2014}}{{cite news |last=Arsiwala |first=Nicole Dastur |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/stoi/special-report/India-beats-China-in-UK/articleshow/17633302.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403001011/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-16/special-report/35850580_1_indian-restaurants-chicken-tikka-masala-indian-meals |url-status=live |archive-date=3 April 2013 |title=India beats China in UK |newspaper=The Times of India |date=16 December 2012 |access-date=22 May 2014}}
In 2016, Ali expressed plans to launch Le Raj Academy, a catering academy, in partnership with North East Surrey College of Technology.{{Cite news |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britains-first-curry-college-opens-10849153 |title=UK's first curry college opens to teach new chefs as restaurants face crisis |last=Harding |first=Nick |date=21 July 2017 |work=Daily Mirror |access-date=9 October 2017}} He launched a 24-hour TV channel, ION, to strengthen the British curry industry.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/dec/23/restaurateur-britain-curry-houses-enam-ali-brexit-tv-channel |title=The restaurateur on a mission to save Britain's curry houses |last=Leftly |first=Mark |date=23 December 2016 |work=The Guardian |access-date=9 October 2017 |issn=0261-3077}} {{Cite web |url=https://laca.co.uk/news/spice-business-magazine-starts-british-curry-day |title=Spice Business Magazine starts British Curry Day | LACA |website=laca.co.uk}}
In late 2020 Ali launched the inaugural British Curry Day to support the pandemic curry industry and commemorate the elderly "curry pioneers" being lost to the Coronavirus. It raised large sums for local charities around the country. Under the slogan of 'Back the Bhaji', many restaurants donated money for each onion bhaji sold. Eaten by the million in Britain each week, with origins in the UK's native onion rings, the dish is symbolic of the unique British curry culture.{{Cite web |url=https://catererlicensee.com/british-curry-day-launched/ |title=British Curry Day Launched |date=20 November 2020}} {{Cite web |url=https://curryculture.co.uk/british-curry-day-launched/ |title=British Curry Day Launched | Curry Culture |first=Guy |last=Parker |date=23 November 2020 |website=curryculture.co.uk}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/people/award-winning-rye-chef-supporting-british-curry-day-3055262 |title=Award winning Rye chef is supporting British Curry Day |website=www.hastingsobserver.co.uk}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.feedthelion.co.uk/?p=41309 |title=Inaugural British Curry Day will celebtrate end of lockdown & help raise money for charity. |date=22 November 2020}}
Personal life
Awards and recognition
In 2009, Ali was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE){{Cite news |url=https://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Article/2016/11/07/UK-curry-at-risk-Enam-Ali-hits-back-at-PM-immigration |title=UK curry 'at risk': Enam Ali MBE hits back at PM immigration 'backtrack' |work=bighospitality.co.uk |access-date=9 October 2017}} in the 2009 New Year Honours for his services to the Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant industries.{{cite news |last=May |first=Lauren |url=http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Food-drink-lead-Surrey-pair-New-Year-Honours-list/story-12668206-detail/story.html |title=Food and drink lead Surrey pair to New Year Honours list |work=This is Surrey |date=31 December 2008 |access-date=22 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522142450/http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Food-drink-lead-Surrey-pair-New-Year-Honours-list/story-12668206-detail/story.html |archive-date=22 May 2014}}
In 2008, he was a member of the Home Office Hospitality sector advisory panel, which ensures fairness in the treatment of the restaurant industry, by that department and by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.{{cite book |last1=Karim |first1=Mohammed Abdul |last2=Karim |first2=Shahadoth |title=British Bangladeshi Who's Who |url=http://www.bbwhoswho.co.uk/Profile/Ali,%20Mr%20Enam.pdf |date=July 2008 |publisher=British Bangla Media Group |page=36 |access-date=1 May 2012}}
In 2011, Ali became the first Muslim and the first representative of the British curry industry to be granted Freedom of the City of London, in recognition of his contribution to the hospitality industry.{{cite news |last=May |first=Lauren |url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9359259.Restaurateur_awarded_Freedom_of_the_City_of_London/ |title=Epsom restaurateur awarded Freedom of the City of London |work=Your Local Guardian |date=14 November 2011 |access-date=1 November 2012}} In the same year, he was awarded Best Business Personality of the Year by his local area of Epsom and Ewell at their Business Excellence Awards, in recognition of his contributions hosting charitable events, raising more than £1.02 million over the previous 26 years.
In January 2013, Ali was nominated for the Arts and Culture Awareness award at the British Muslim Awards.{{cite news |url=http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/10197507.Winners_honoured_at_British_Muslim_Awards/ |title=Winners honoured at British Muslim Awards |work=Asian Image |date=31 January 2013 |access-date=1 August 2015}}
In August 2018, Institute of Hospitality recognised contribution made by Mr Ali to the Industry and among the most prominent British Asian personalities and the man behind revolutionary change in the curry industry.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.enamali.co.uk/}}
- [http://www.eastlondonnews.com/are-we-ready-to-curry-favour-with-olympic-visitors/ Are we ready to curry favour with Olympic visitors?]. East London News. 10 June 2011
- Foster, Alice. [http://www.epsomguardian.co.uk/news/12906695.Comedian__journalist_and_chef_Hardeep_Singh_Kohli_interviews_Indian_restaurant_owner/ Comedian, journalist and chef Hardeep Singh Kohli interviews Indian restaurant owner]. Epsom Guardian. 23 April 2015
- http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/may-7-2017-the-sunday-edition-with-michael-enright-1.4097864/how-a-shortage-of-british-curry-chefs-helped-win-the-brexit-vote-1.4097868
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/amartya-sen-honoured-with-bengal-s-pride-award-in-uk-1253375-2018-06-07
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, Enam}}
Category:Deaths from cancer in England
Category:Bangladeshi emigrants to England
Category:British people of Bangladeshi descent
Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
Category:British restaurateurs
Category:British publishers (people)
Category:Bangladeshi businesspeople
Category:People from Sylhet Division
Category:Bangladeshi Members of the Order of the British Empire