As one of the most popular dishes eaten in the UK, curry has had a presence in our culture since the 1700s.
It’s estimated that there are around 12,000 Indian restaurants in the UK, with London especially being known for its array of curry houses, whether Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi.
With such a deep-rooted love for curry in the UK and chicken tikka masala being England’s national dish, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that National Curry Week is a big deal. Founded by the late food journalist Peter Grove as a way to show his admiration for the dish, boost the Indian restaurant scene and raise money for charity, National Curry Week has been celebrated in the UK since 1998.
But when is it, and how can you mark the occasion?
When is National Curry Week 2024?
This year, National Curry Week takes place October 7-11.
The National Curry Week’s website encourages curry lovers to go all out to mark the week. This could include supporting your local curry house or takeaway (they even provide a search tool to find your closest restaurant), purchasing the official National Curry Week recipe book, From Bombay to Britain, which features recipes from 50 UK restaurants, or cooking a curry for your loved ones at home.
How has National Curry Week been marked in the past?
National Curry Week 2012 will be remembered thanks to The Tamarind Restaurant in Northampton, specifically its owner, chef Tipu Rahman, who set the Guinness World Record for the tallest stack of poppadoms recorded (1.72m). His team of chefs spent two hours making more than 1,200 poppadoms to break the record.
Back in 2005, fashion designer Lisa Myers made an entire dress out of the beloved curry accompaniment to celebrate the week. The dress featured a number of painted poppadoms threaded together with gold beading and ribbons.
