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On the 1st of January 2009, in recognition of his unparalleled service to the curry industry Mr Enam Ali became the first person ever to be appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty The Queen

Mr Enam Ali was born in 1960 in Sylhet, Bangladesh. He came to England for higher studies after finishing Hospitality and Management degree. In 1980 he earned the fellowship of the Institute of Hospitality. In 1990 he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

After completing education Mr Enam opened a fine dine restaurant Le Raj in Epsom Downs. It soon became the local diners’ favorite. A Michelin rated restaurant it has won many national and international awards. The excellent quality of its creative Indian cuisine, the service and the ambience did not fail to catch the discerning eyes of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs - an international gastronomic association dedicated to bringing together fellows worldwide who appreciate and share a mutual interest in cuisine, wine and fine dining. They made Mr Enam a fellow, the lone Asian restaurateur to have achieved the honor. Le Raj gradually became the focal point of high profile celebrities and VIPs. By virtue of his fond relations with VIPs and regular appearances in national TV, the press and the media his restaurant soon became a trendsetter for Indian restaurants. He also launched the world’s first flying restaurant ' Le Raj Avion' to promote Indian cuisine. The Guardian in its November 6, 2009 issue named Le Raj as one of the ten best Indian restaurants in UK.

In 2009 he was named Asian Personality of the Year by the Restaurant Hall Of Fame for the second year running for his business Le Raj and for lobbying the government over strict immigration laws restricting the amount of skilled Indian chefs entering the country. He was made a trustee for The Curry Tree, the new charitable fund for National Curry Week, which ran from 22nd – 28th November 2009.

As founder and organiser of the British Curry Awards and long-standing chairman of the Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs, Enam Ali has presided over a period of dramatic change and growth in the industry, now worth £3.2bn a year to the UK economy.

Under his stewardship, a new generation of bright, modern restaurants has risen from the ashes of the old dimly lit, flock wallpaper-decorated establishments that dominated the scene when Enam Ali co-founded the Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs in 1994. More than 80 per cent of the near 10,000 so-called 'Indian' restaurants in Britain are, in fact, Bangladeshi owned and run, and Enam Ali has been their principal ambassador, lobbyist and spokesperson for the past 18 years. While seeking backing from fellow restaurateurs, Enam recognised the need for a formal support network for Bangladeshis in the UK so that Bangladeshi-owned restaurants were well represented and warranted a voice at decision-making level. As a result, in November 1995, the co-ordinators of the Dine Bangladeshi campaign officially launched the Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, enabling the media to publicise an industry concerned to maintain the very highest standards while promoting Bangladeshi cuisine to the British public.

Since then he has been responsible for waging numerous other campaigns aimed not only at promoting and protecting the curry industry and those working in it but also at raising quality standards and 'naming and shaming' any rogue restaurateurs who might threaten to tarnish the growing reputation of the sector.

Mr Enam Ali achieved the rare distinction of serving in the UK Home Office Hospitality advisory panel. He has seized this opportunity to lobby at the House of Lords for fair treatment of legitimate migrant workers by the UK government. Membership of the Portcullis Club also gives him social contact with many of the Members of Parliament who initiate and shape the laws of the land.

In 1998 Mr Enam launched 'Spice Business Magazine', a top quality trade journal featuring articles in English, combining information on the hospitality sector and business news. Today it boasts a readership of over 100,000 and, as Enam points out, "Spice Business magazine has succeeded in opening new channels of communication for the Asian businesses to give our needs the authority they deserve." Now Spice Business Magazine is revered as the Bible of the curry industry. He is an editor with an open mind and a fearless heart.

In 2005, his unparalleled marketing skill was applied to the launch of the British Curry Awards with the intention of generating positive image for the Asian businesses throughout the world and providing the opportunity to suppliers and distributors for promoting their brands. Much hard work was finally rewarded when the spectacular awards ceremony took place at the world renowned ‘Great Room’ of Grosvenor House Hotel in Central London and the winners were announced in the Oscar style. The glitz and glamour of the show and the lavish presence and patronage of the VIPs and celebs prompted BBC World TV to call it the Oscars. The Curry Award gained immense publicity worldwide and also helped raise the profile of people in this sector on a national and international level. The fifth British Curry Awards were held at the Battersea Park Evolution on 3rd November 2009. Hosted by Sir Trevor MacDonald the Awards ceremony had the rare privilege of having as its chief guest the leader of the Conservatives Rt Hon David Cameron MP, the first ever leader of a mainstream political party. In his speech he praised the entrepreneurial and family values of Asians, which he said, underpinned their spectacular success and invaluable contribution to UK.

Conservative Party leader David Cameron also paid his own tribute to Enam Ali's contribution to the industry at the 2007 British Curry Awards when he said: "It's great that Enam Ali, Spice Business magazine and the organisers of these awards have established them so firmly in the national calendar. I know the ceremony has the reputation for being a spectacular occasion, and I'm sure tonight will be no exception."

Mr Enam frequently holds charity dinners in his restaurant to raise funds for deserving causes. He has also received patronage of reputed charity organizations in all the British Curry Awards. So far he has raised about £800,000 for various charities.

Mr Ali said "This is a huge honour for me personally as well as for the UK curry restaurant industry as a whole. We have made huge strides forward over the last decade or so with several curry restaurants now achieving Michelin star status – something almost inconceivable not that long ago”.

As an exemplary leader in his field, Enam Ali has been instrumental in giving the curry industry a higher profile and far greater respect within the United Kingdom. By virtue of the popularity of British Curry Awards the curry has come to be fondly called British curry.

Despite the heavy demands on his time, Enam manages to balance work, community and family life. He is married, with two sons and a daughter, and they are a constant source of support and pleasure. The many participants in the business he leads are also treated like family members, and this extended family appreciates and benefits from the leadership he gives them.