In UK, Indian curry may soon lose taste

In UK, Indian curry may soon lose taste

FPJ BureauUpdated: Saturday, June 01, 2019, 12:14 AM IST
article-image

New annual income limit to be £35,000, forcing thousands of chefs to return home

London : In the United Kingdom, Dal Makhni and Paneer Tikka may not taste the same as before as the British authorities will soon implement the new salary threshold of £35,000 from next year. More importantly, thousands of chefs from India may be forced to leave the country due the new rule.

“We are already struggling in this industry and this would only make matters worse. There is already a shortage of Indian chefs. The new rules will affect jobs and create a big mess”, said Amin Ali, founder of Red Fort – one of London’s most famous Indian restaurants. Ali has employed hundreds of Indian chefs over his 35 years in the UK’s restaurant industry through the work permit route but has found it increasingly difficult to source the right talent.

“London is the capital of the restaurant world and a good Indian restaurant requires trained chefs from India. What the government fails to see is that for every chef we bring in at least 10 more jobs are created locally in the form of his support staff. The new rules are extremely short-sighted”, he warned.

Britain’s curry industry is estimated to be worth around threshold of £3.6 bn with thousands of curry houses and takeaways around the country. The new salary threshold of £35,000 a year comes into force from April, 2016.

The UK government’s view has been that Indian restaurateurs’ children must train in their parents’ profession but Ali explains, “One of my daughters is a PhD and one an economist. They have their own choices to make in life. We can’t force them into a profession. And hiring locally becomes equally difficult because it is a very culture-specific skill.”

Lobbying in the past had succeeded in chefs being retained on Britain’s shortage occupation list, giving it a slightly lower minimum salary threshold of 29,570 pounds. However, further stipulations state that if a restaurant offers any takeaway service the lower threshold is nullified. “At least 99% of all Indian restaurants have a takeaway facility – it is the business model that has been used for 50 to 60 years. Our restaurants can’t sustain themselves financially without that,” said Enam Ali, founder of the British Curry Awards.

RECENT STORIES

Chhattisgarh Murder: Minor Girl Strangulates Boyfriend To Death After He Forces Her To Establish...

Chhattisgarh Murder: Minor Girl Strangulates Boyfriend To Death After He Forces Her To Establish...

Manaskhand Express: All You Need To Know About Special Tourist Train From Pune To Tanakpur,...

Manaskhand Express: All You Need To Know About Special Tourist Train From Pune To Tanakpur,...

Gujarat: Security Beefed Up For Union Minister Parshottam Rupala Amidst Kshatriya Community Protests

Gujarat: Security Beefed Up For Union Minister Parshottam Rupala Amidst Kshatriya Community Protests

Video: Varanasi Airport Staffer Uses Sponge Board To Prevent Luggage Damage On Conveyor Belt;...

Video: Varanasi Airport Staffer Uses Sponge Board To Prevent Luggage Damage On Conveyor Belt;...

BMTC Conductor Mercilessly Assaults Lady Passenger On Bus; Video Goes Viral

BMTC Conductor Mercilessly Assaults Lady Passenger On Bus; Video Goes Viral