{"id":339760,"date":"2025-08-13T00:10:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T00:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/339760\/"},"modified":"2025-08-13T00:10:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T00:10:13","slug":"mum-and-dads-hard-work-paid-off-after-opening-surprise-email","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/339760\/","title":{"rendered":"Mum and dad’s ‘hard work paid off’ after opening ‘surprise email’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The couple said it was an “amazing” feeling\"HusbandHusband and wife team Laxman and Geeta Bhandari(Image: Geeta Bhandari)<\/p>\n

A mum and dad have said all their hard work has \u201cpaid off\u201d after their business was named the best in Liverpool. The 14th English Curry Awards 2025 returned this week, with a Waterloo<\/a> venue taking home a prestigious title.<\/p>\n

The Oceanic Awards shine a spotlight on the \u201cremarkable talents and dedication of individuals and establishments within the curry industry\u201d. This year was no different ,with the finalists representing the \u201ccr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me\u201d<\/a>, showcasing the unrivalled skills and creativity of chefs, restaurateurs, and takeaway services<\/a> across the nation.<\/p>\n

The award winners were announced at a ceremony on Monday, August 11, at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham. The night saw the nation\u2019s curry connoisseurs gather to recognise and applaud the exceptional achievements of the curry sector.<\/p>\n

However, one Waterloo venue stood head and shoulders above the rest. Da Mount Gurkha beat competition from Ikkayees Indian Restaurant, Sultan\u2019s Palace, and Holdi Bar to be named the best curry house in Liverpool.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe team at Da Mount Gurkha(Image: Colin Lane\/Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n

The curry house first opened back in 2015 and has gone on to establish itself as a local institution, with customers travelling from miles around to dine there. It is run by husband and wife Laxman and Geeta Bhandari, who live in Crosby<\/a>. While 49-year-old Laxman oversees the kitchen, Geeta, 43, is the head of operations.<\/p>\n

Mum-of-three Geeta told the ECHO<\/a>: “It was great for us. All our hard work paid off. The other 10 people who made the list are very good competition, so for us to win is amazing.<\/p>\n

“It means a lot, especially as a family-run business. We do everything ourselves, and we look after our kids at the same time. It’s hard to do all this and be parents, but we love it. We will continue doing the great work we are doing. We want to add new dishes to the menu and hope customers love them as much as our curries that have won awards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GeetaGeeta Bhandari with husband Laxman at Da Mount Gurkha restaurant in Waterloo(Image: Colin Lane\/Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n

The couple previously told the ECHO <\/a>how they were “surprised” to be nominated via email<\/a>. They said their curry \u201cis very special and not like any other\u201d. Geeta added: \u201cIt\u2019s fresh with all new ingredients. Once the customer orders the food, it is only then, we start to make it and take it to the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outstanding achievement award went to Askhaya, The Picture Dome in Kensington and Victoria Street\u2019s Sultan\u2019s Palace was recognised for its excellence.<\/p>\n

\"HusbandHusband and wife Laxman and Geeta Bhandari(Image: Geeta Bhandari)<\/p>\n

Irfan Younis, spokesperson for The 14th English Curry Awards 2025, said: \u201cIt was another memorable event that honoured the dedication and hard work of the nominees and celebrated the rich tapestry of flavours that the curry industry brings to the English culinary landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe awards provide a platform to applaud the exceptional efforts of those who have made significant contributions to the curry sector and continue to elevate the nation\u2019s love for curry. We would like to congratulate all of our winners on their incredible accomplishments.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The couple said it was an “amazing” feelingHusband and wife team Laxman and Geeta Bhandari(Image: Geeta Bhandari) A…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":339761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[748,393,786,4884,179,8899,16,15,14145],"class_list":{"0":"post-339760","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-food-and-drink","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-liverpool","13":"tag-liverpool-restaurants","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom","16":"tag-waterloo"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115018559024791176","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/339761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=339760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}