The owner of a Woodbridge Road takeaway has shared his pride that its service and food quality has landed them a top food accolade.

Siddesh Vaze, of Eastern Spice in Ipswich, saw his business crowned East Anglia Takeaway of the Year at the Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (ARTA) 2024 this week.

He said that this was a great honour and that as a takeaway they were very thankful to the customers and the staff members that have helped them here. 

Mr Vaze, second from the left, believes their fresh food was the key to their win.Mr Vaze, second from the left, believes fresh food was the key to their win. (Image: Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards)  He said: "I am very happy to have won this award for Eastern Spice, it shows the work we have been putting in at this restaurant and that our customers really love to eat our food." 

Mr Vaze believes that the reason they stood out compared to the rest of their competition was that they use little to no frozen food or off-the-shelf vegetables. 

Instead, Eastern Spice sources the meat and vegetables locally, which they say makes their food fresh and tasty. 

"Everyone loves Indian food, but what we do best is our service and the quality of our food," he added.

"Everything is prepared to order in our restaurant and there are specialized and experienced chefs in our kitchen that can make the food very tasty."

The takeaway has been open in Ipswich since 2022.Mr Vaze took over Eastern Spice in 2022. (Image: Contributed)  Mr Vaze took over from the founder of the restaurant when they decided to retire in 2022 and under has continued to expand the business. 

The business has 12 to 13 members in total, including four chefs and delivery partners, allowing them to deliver to customers at a quick pace.

They also have a large range of dishes for customers to choose from, although according to the owner, the most popular are still the classic takeaway dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala and Onion Bhaji.

ARTA Founder Mohammed Munim said: “Congratulations to all the winners and finalists of ARTA 2024 – the Pan Asian restaurants, takeaways, and chefs who continue to stand as pillars of excellence in the UK's hospitality industry.

"As the original and premier awards ceremony dedicated to celebrating the best of the UK's Asian restaurant and takeaway sector, we honour your unwavering commitment and passion, which continue to bring unparalleled flavours and experiences to diners across the nation, even in the face of adversity."