Facts

• In 1960 there were just 500 Indian restaurants in Britain but by 1970 this had grown to 1200. With the influx after Bangladesh Independence numbers grew rapidly to 3000 in 1980 and by 2000 there were almost 8000 Indian restaurants in Britain turning over more than £2 billion a year employing some 70,000 people as one of the major industries in the country.
• The commercial creation of curry powder was in 1780
• The Indian Restaurant trade is currently estimated as a £3.5bn industry
• There are over 10,000 curry houses in the UK
• 90% of the curry houses are run by Bangladeshis
• Over 100,000 people are employed by the UK Indian restaurants
• Indian restaurants in Britain serve about 2.5 million customers every week
• Indian restaurants out number Chinese restaurants in the UK by two to one.
• The most popular curry in UK restaurants is Chicken Tikka Masala. Many people would think of it as a typical Indian dish. But it is actually a restaurant invention created in the UK by Bangladeshi restaurateurs.