Good Curry Guide
Encyclopedia
The Good Curry Guide is a regularly published guide (book) to the UK’s top curry
restaurants.
The Good Curry Guide was first published in 1984, by Pat Chapman
, founder of the The Curry Club
and is the only such publication currently in print. From 1991 to 2009 Cobra Beer
have been the Guide's sole sponsor.
Readers are actively encouraged to submit their reviews, via the Good Curry Guide website, or by post which are then considered for prospective inclusion in the next guide. Opinions are always honest, often critical, and all contributors are listed in the Guide.
Each restaurant is assessed for price, style and quality of food, service, the availability of dishes for vegetarians, whether the restaurant has a Bring Your Own (alcoholic drinks) policy, takeaway information, home delivery service, and more.
(the AA) published its first Members' Handbook (listing the addresses of car mechanics around Britain). From 1912 the AA began inspecting hotels and restaurants, issuing the coveted AA Star to those deemed to be of sufficient quality. By the 1980s AA Restaurant Guide took ads and the Good Curry Guide incorporated that idea from the start.
Raymond Postgate
, an enthusiastic gourmet
, first published his Good Food Guide
in 1951 because he was appalled by the standard of contemporary UK catering. He recruited an army of volunteers clandestinely to visit and assess restaurants on the basis that, "You can corrupt one man. You can't bribe an army." It has remained the dining-out bible of many a household, and the notion of voluntary, unpaid reports from the public was the inspiration for our Guide.
In 1957 restaurateur Egon Ronay
self-published his Guide. He hired one of his former waiters to go round bookshops to persuade them to stock it. The guide was an instant success, selling 30,000 copies in the first year. “I‘ve always been a man of strong views and I never compromise’” says Ronay. It is that that gives his Guides credibility. This outlook has been one of the Good Curry Guide maxims, and from time to time the truth offends the easily offended restaurant.
Time Out started in 1968 by then student Tony Elliott as a London weekly listings magazine. In autumn 1984 Elliot published his annual London Eating & Drinking Guide. Like Ronay and The Good Curry Guide, the Time Out Guide gives frank and sometimes adverse criticism about the restaurants it reviews and like the first Ronay, the AA, it depends on ads for some if its revenue. Elliot’s passion for his work, and his achievements are monumental. The Sunday Times Richlist 2008 valued his company at £40m, though Elliot says “it makes losses one year and profits the next” Despite that he says “I’m seriously enjoying myself”, sentiments echoed by Pat Chapman.
The above Guides and others including the Michelin Guide
, whilst definitive on restaurants in general, have only carried around one to two percent entries on restaurants in the Indian sector. By contrast Time Out carries a large Asia
n section, but its reviews are confined to London.
have been given to the top UK curry restaurants by The Good Curry Guide since 1991 to reward excellence in the sector.
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
restaurants.
The Good Curry Guide was first published in 1984, by Pat Chapman
Pat Chapman
Patrick Lawrence Chapman is an English food writer, broadcaster and author, best known for founding The Curry Club.-Early days:Chapman was born in London during the Blitz...
, founder of the The Curry Club
The Curry Club
The Curry Club was founded by Pat Chapman in 1982, to further the understanding and appreciation of the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent and now has a membership of several thousand.In 2007 it became known as Pat Chapman’s Curry Club.-Overview:...
and is the only such publication currently in print. From 1991 to 2009 Cobra Beer
Cobra Beer
Cobra Beers main product is an extra-smooth premium beer with an alcohol strength of 5% volume. The beer was founded in 1989 by Karan Bilimoria, who thought that Britain needed a smoother, less gassy lager, which would appeal to both ale drinkers and lager drinkers alike...
have been the Guide's sole sponsor.
Overview
The Good Curry Guide currently reports on over 1,000 top curry establishments. It is unique as it is completely rewritten every edition and is entirely independent — though there is advertising and sponsorship, no fees are accepted for inclusion, and all of the inspections are anonymous.Readers are actively encouraged to submit their reviews, via the Good Curry Guide website, or by post which are then considered for prospective inclusion in the next guide. Opinions are always honest, often critical, and all contributors are listed in the Guide.
Each restaurant is assessed for price, style and quality of food, service, the availability of dishes for vegetarians, whether the restaurant has a Bring Your Own (alcoholic drinks) policy, takeaway information, home delivery service, and more.
Background
In 1908 the Automobile AssociationThe Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
(the AA) published its first Members' Handbook (listing the addresses of car mechanics around Britain). From 1912 the AA began inspecting hotels and restaurants, issuing the coveted AA Star to those deemed to be of sufficient quality. By the 1980s AA Restaurant Guide took ads and the Good Curry Guide incorporated that idea from the start.
Raymond Postgate
Raymond Postgate
Raymond William Postgate was an English socialist, journalist and editor, social historian, mystery novelist and gourmet.-Early life:...
, an enthusiastic gourmet
Gourmet
Gourmet is a cultural ideal associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterised by elaborate preparations and presentations of large meals of small, often quite rich courses...
, first published his Good Food Guide
Good Food Guide
The Good Food Guide is an annual guidebook to the best restaurants in the UK, published by Which?books.The Good Food Guide was first published in 1951 by Raymond Postgate, an enthusiastic gourmet, who was appalled by the standard of contemporary catering. He recruited an army of volunteers to...
in 1951 because he was appalled by the standard of contemporary UK catering. He recruited an army of volunteers clandestinely to visit and assess restaurants on the basis that, "You can corrupt one man. You can't bribe an army." It has remained the dining-out bible of many a household, and the notion of voluntary, unpaid reports from the public was the inspiration for our Guide.
In 1957 restaurateur Egon Ronay
Egon Ronay
Egon Ronay was a Hungarian-born food critic who wrote and published a famous series of guides to British and Irish restaurants and hotels in the 1950s and '60s. He was an innovator when Britain had little appreciation of foreign cuisine.-Early life:Born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, in 1915, he...
self-published his Guide. He hired one of his former waiters to go round bookshops to persuade them to stock it. The guide was an instant success, selling 30,000 copies in the first year. “I‘ve always been a man of strong views and I never compromise’” says Ronay. It is that that gives his Guides credibility. This outlook has been one of the Good Curry Guide maxims, and from time to time the truth offends the easily offended restaurant.
Time Out started in 1968 by then student Tony Elliott as a London weekly listings magazine. In autumn 1984 Elliot published his annual London Eating & Drinking Guide. Like Ronay and The Good Curry Guide, the Time Out Guide gives frank and sometimes adverse criticism about the restaurants it reviews and like the first Ronay, the AA, it depends on ads for some if its revenue. Elliot’s passion for his work, and his achievements are monumental. The Sunday Times Richlist 2008 valued his company at £40m, though Elliot says “it makes losses one year and profits the next” Despite that he says “I’m seriously enjoying myself”, sentiments echoed by Pat Chapman.
The above Guides and others including the Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
, whilst definitive on restaurants in general, have only carried around one to two percent entries on restaurants in the Indian sector. By contrast Time Out carries a large Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n section, but its reviews are confined to London.
Restaurant Awards
The Good Curry AwardsCurry Awards
The Curry Awards are the highest honours awarded to British curry restaurants.The Curry Awards ceremony was established in May 1991 by Pat Chapman and was the first awards ceremony of any restaurant sector.-History:...
have been given to the top UK curry restaurants by The Good Curry Guide since 1991 to reward excellence in the sector.
Edition History
- 1984 Good Curry Guide, Curry Club — ISBN 0950917001
- 1987 Good Curry Guide, Piatkus, London — ISBN 086188 5236
- 1991 Cobra Good Curry Guide, Piatkus, London — ISBN 0861889894
- 1995 Cobra Good Curry Guide, Piatkus, London — ISBN 0749914076
- 1998 Cobra Good Curry Guide, Hodder & Stoughton, London — ISBN 0340680326
- 1999 Cobra Good Curry Guide, Hodder & Stoughton, London — ISBN 0340680334
- 2000 Cobra Curryholics’ Directory, John Blake Publishing , London — ISBN 0953773507
- 2001 Cobra Good Curry Guide, Simon & Schuster, London — ISBN 0743208404
- 2004 Cobra Good Curry Guide, Curry Club, Haslemere — ISBN 978-0953773510
- 2007 Cobra Good Curry Guide, John Blake Publishing , London — ISBN 9781844543113
- 2009 Cobra Good Curry Guide, John Blake Publishing , London — ISBN 1-84454-311-0
External links
- http://www.patchapman.co.uk/page/cobra-good-curry-guide
- Chapman's Top Curry Restaurants
- http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/scene/gcg2004.html
- http://www.londoneats.com/news/default.asp?PressID=75
- http://www.victoriasindia.co.uk/news.htm
- http://www.patchapman.co.uk/page/cobra-good-curry-guide
- http://www.nriinternet.com/NRIentrepreneurs/UK/A_Z/A/Sanjay_Anand/index.html
- http://www.ethnicnow.com/channels/food-drink/press-release/11/947/itihaas-scoops-top-honours-at-2007-cobra-good-curry-awards.html
- http://aphrohead.com/Product.aspx?pid=11927505
- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article453496.ece
- http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/restaurants/article-10796583-details/Britain%27s+best+curry/article.do
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/nov/11/shopping
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/mar/24/foodanddrink