and the winner is...

SOPNA WINS FIRST NATIONAL CURRY AWARD….

The Sopna Restaurant has been named as the Welsh Curry House of the Year 2007 during a ceremony held last night (Wednesday, March21^st) at Y Sendd in Cardiff Bay.

In front of an audience of 200 guests, who were treated to the best of contemporary Bangra music, fine Indian cuisine and an endless supply of Kingfisher lager, the Presiding Officer and curry enthusiast Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas announced the winner of the inaugural competition.

"Truthfully, I didn’t think we were going to win" said Shadek Ali, Manager of the Sopna, located a few miles outside of Caernarfon. "This means everything to us. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since we’ve won!"

The Sopna beat off tough competition from Indian restaurants from all over Wales who were eventually narrowed down to a shortlist of three, the other two restaurants being Punithas from Cardiff and the Spice Route from Cardiff Bay, whose owners were also in attendance for the final awards ceremony.

"Punithas, Sopna and the Spice Route are fantastic restaurants offering their customers amazing food. As judges we were impressed with all three." said Mike Ahmed, one the three judges of the competition. "However, there was something about the Sopna that seemed to encapsulate everything we were looking for. Their menu is familiar and popular with one or two exciting new additions from the chef and the environment makes for a perfect dining experience."

"We have had a fantastic response to the competition which appears to have caught the public’s enthusiasm. Plans are already in development for next year’s competition which will involve a number of regional heats located throughout Wales," said Berwyn Rowlands from the Festivals Company, organiser of the competition.

The award ceremony will feature as part of the final episode of Some Like it Hot, which has followed the competition from the beginning, and will be screened on ITV Wales, on Tuesday, 27^th at 7.30pm.