These eight curry houses have been named the best in the North East

Namaste & Kings Prosecco Lounge in South Shields and Lal Khazana in Northumberland have both been shortlisted for the prestigious award which has been running for eight years.

Shampan in Whitley Bay, Asmara Indian Cuisine in Blyth and Ashianna in Bedlington also received nominations in the Best Restaurant of the Year category.

While Newcastle curry houses Jashn Restaurant, Jamdani and Kamal Balti House made up the remainder of the North East's finalists.

The eight curry houses will battle it out on September 17 to be named the best curry house in both the North East and England.

Namaste & Kings Prosecco Lounge nominated again

Its the second year in a row that South Shields curry house Namaste & Kings Prosecco Loungehas been recognised at the English Curry Awards - last year the eatery was named the best in the North East, but ultimately failed to scoop the national prize which was won by Cambridge curry house Prana Indian Restaurant.

Set in a former pub, the restaurant doubles up as a cocktail bar with live music throughout the week.

Following their victory in 2017 the owners of the South Shield institute thanked its customers, stating: "We at Namaste and King’s Prosecco Lounge, we would like to dedicate a big THANK YOU to all the members of staff and the overwhelming number of customers that have supported the establishment of the business.

"We are also pleased to give a huge thanks to the English Curry Awards 2017 for announcing Namaste and Kings Prosecco Lounge as the North East – Restaurant of the Year 2017"

Recognising hard work and dedication

The winner of the best restaurant in England will be announced at a lavish black tie dinner in Birmingham.

Organised by the Oceanic Consulting, the awards recognise the hard work and dedication of those working in the curry industry.

Following the announcement of the shortlist, Irfan Younis, theCEO of Oceanic Consulting said: “We are so excited to announce the finalists for the 8th English Curry Awards 2018. They have not only faced the recent challenges but have indeed grown from them.

"The curry industry represents so much more than just food: it celebrates history, community and innovation and we cannot wait to celebrate the achievements of the sector at the awards ceremony. ”