Full Name: Enam Ali

Affiliation: Le Raj, UK

Current Position: Founder

Date of Birth: December 01, 1960

Date of Death: July 17, 2022

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Sylhet

Nationality: Bangladeshi and British

Profile:

Enam Ali (1 December 1960 - 17 July 2022) was a Bangladeshi-born British businessman. He was the founder of award-winning restaurant Le Raj, The British Curry Awards, Spice Business Magazine and Ion TV.

Ali was one of the most prominent British Asian personalities in the UK, known for his leadership and passionate concern for the interests of the hospitality industry and the man behind the revolutionary change in the curry industry, is none other than Enam Ali MBE, FIH. Today, he stands as one of the most influential men in the UK to be creating a difference and giving British Asians something to be proud of. He was frequently seen and heard in the UK’s key print and broadcast media, acting as a spokesman for the Asian business sector and as an unofficial ambassador for the country of his birth.

Enam Ali was a British Bangladeshi who has singlehandedly pioneered the British curry as its own right cuisine. In addition he established the British Curry Awards in 2005 and is dubbed as the “Curry Oscar”. He was also the Founder of multi award-winning restaurant, Le Raj, and the industry’s leading trade publication and Bible for this industry, Spice Business Magazine.

Alongside publishing and editing he has developed outstanding relationships in the political arena. He has been a member of the Home Office Hospitality Advisory Panel in matters relating to regulation, parliamentary legislation affecting the hospitality industry and to ensure fairness in the treatment of the restaurant industry. His hard work and extensive research established and promoted the concept of British Curry as an own right cuisine, not just in the UK but worldwide as well. His aim has always been to help British consumers distinguish between the different types of cuisine from the sub-continent of India. He has been a judge on various TV programmes such as F Word with Gordon Ramsay, Great British Menu and BBC Royal Recipes amongst other food programmes. His sound knowledge of Indian food is second to none.

In 2009 Enam was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for his services to the Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant industry.

In 2011 Enam became the first Muslim and the first representative of the British curry industry to be granted Freedom of the City of London, in recognition of his contribution to the hospitality industry. In the same year, he was awarded Best Business Personality of the Year by his local area at their Business Excellence Awards in Epsom, in recognition of the contribution he has made to the local community by hosting various charitable events, raising over £1.02 million since 1989.

In 2012, Le Raj was the only curry restaurant to be selected as one to serve halal curry & iftar to the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games and also catered for the final wrap up party attended by over 5,000 Olympic officials.

In January 2013, Enam was nominated for the Arts and Culture Awareness award at the British Muslim Awards and in 2014 he was named NRB Person of the year 2015 by Millennium Global Magazine.

In June 2016 Enam was elected president of the British-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce, to continue promoting trade and investment opportunities and co-operation between Britain and Bangladesh.

Enam continues to regularly contribute worldwide in the media covering the increase in domestic curryconsumption, best cuisine, global trends and industry insight.

Ali died from cancer in London on 17 July 2022, at the age of 61.

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