Cities Prepare for Poppadomination -- Who Will Win Curry Capital 2012?

LONDON--(Marketwire - Sep 17, 2012) - The Olympics are over, but the competitive landscape remains charged as 18 cities battle for the 2012 Curry Capital of Britain title. The top contenders weigh in to talk strategy, curry trademarks, and the possibility of a giant dhal swimming pool.

Glasgow's bid for Curry Capital "looks set to be one of our most innovative in terms of promoting Glasgow for what it is -- diverse, dynamic, energetic and, of course, hot for curry!" says Glasgow City Council Lord Provost Sadie Docherty in an interview with Curry Capital sponsors hungryhouse.co.uk. Glasgow lost their title as Curry Capital last year to Bradford who stole the show with a record breaking 102.2kg onion bhaji. When asked about the possibility of creating a giant dhal swimming pool to trump the competition, Lord Provost replied, "I don't want to give too much away to the other competitors."

Mum's the word when it comes to Bradford's follow up bid for 2012. "We are planning a great bid to submit this year and want to retain our title. However, our secrets for success can't be revealed as yet," says Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Dale Smith. When questioned about Bradford's signature curry dish Smith says, "unlike most of our competitors, Bradford doesn't have one signature dish, which is why we are so famous for our curries."

With Bradford and Glasgow the ones to beat, Birmingham is betting on balti to make 2012 their year. As part of their bid, Birmingham has petitioned the EU to make 'Birmingham Balti' a registered trademark. "We are the first ever city to apply for a European trademark for an ethnic based food (balti). It's a major, record breaking step forward in recognising the uniqueness of what Birmingham has to offer," says Andy Munroe of the Birmingham Balti Association.

The top contenders are clearly set for battle, but underdogs Wolverhampton aren't giving up yet. "We would love to do something extreme!" says Kim Gilmour of WV One, the non-profit organization coordinating Wolverhampton's Curry Capital bid. "We put a lot of passion into our bid each year and really try hard to work with the restaurants as well as demonstrating our community involvement." To Wolverhampton's advantage, the Curry Capital of Britain is not based on public voting alone, but also a series of fundraising events, health and quality inspection by Scores on the Doors, and submission of a bid dossier that would bring tears to the eyes of Lord Coe himself.

"This isn't a title that can be taken with a pinch of salt," comments hungryhouse Marketing Communications Manager Carly Guglielmelli. "You've got to prove your love for curry runs deeper than a bi-weekly takeaway -- a good curry simply won't cut it." Team restaurants are asked to host fundraising events during National Curry Week (8th - 14th October 2012) with profits raised going to The Curry Tree Foundation. Past fundraising successes include a Beach Party hosted by Anjuna restaurant of Leicester in 2011 and a dress-down day hosted this year by Glasgow City Council -- where council members pay for the privilege to dress silly at work.

Now in their 10th year running, hungryhouse hope that their sponsorship of the Curry Capital of Britain awards bring even more attention to Britain's curry industry. "We do our best to keep Britain's curry industry in the public mind, helping family run restaurants to compete with big brands like Domino's Pizza and Nando's," comments Shane Lake co-founder of hungryhouse.co.uk. "Being part of the Curry Capital of Britain awards is another way to support an industry that makes Britain unique."

With public voting open until 21st September, now's the time to make it known that your city is hot for curry! Go to the official public voting page www.2012currycapital.co.uk, that is chock-a-block with interviews of the competing cities, curry credentials, and of course, the list of restaurants who have been chosen to represent their city.

About hungryhouse.co.uk:
hungryhouse.co.uk's mission is to become the UK's most trusted source for the takeaway industry. More than just a restaurant directory -- it's a convenient and transparent way to find a restaurant, read reviews and order home delivery. The platform, which is part of Delivery Hero, helps restaurateurs keep up with the increasing technological demands of their customers, and the 4-star rated hungryhouse mobile phone app, gives customers a comfortable way to carry thousands of menus around in their pocket!