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20 APR 2011
Internationally renowned chef, and prominent Bangladeshi British citizen, Mr Tommy Miah, has been named a Goodwill Ambassador of ICDDR,B.
Tommy Miah was born in a Moulvibazar village (Sylhet) in Bangladesh in 1959, and arrived in Britain at the age of 10. An interest in food drew him into the catering business. A combination of ability, self-reliance and determination quickly led to his first business and has made him one of the leading Bangladeshi businessmen in the United Kingdom, where he owns the award-winning Raj Restaurant in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is also the home of his uniquely inspired Original Raj Hotel Group of individually styled Indian-themed boutique hotels.
Tommy is the founder and promoter of the International Indian Chef of the Year Competition - the most prestigious event in the Indian culinary calendar, attracting entrants from all corners of the world. The competition encourages innovation in Bangladeshi/Indian cuisine, raising standards, and encouraging young Bangladeshis to fulfil their aspirations. It climaxes at a special awards ceremony held in conjunction with The Curry Ball, a black-tie event hosted by Tommy to raise funds for the Sreepur Village Orphanage in Bangladesh. Amongst his achievements Tommy has delivered a curry lunch-box to 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister John Major’s 50th birthday. He produced the world’s largest curry (big enough to feed 10000 people), developed dishes for top-class manufacturers, started a world wide competition to promote innovation and quality in Asian cuisine, has written cookery books, and was the first person to make Indian meals available on airline flights world wide. Tommy Miah returns regularly to Bangladesh where he has diverse business interests and commitments including his signature restaurant - The Heritage - the home of his original bangla-fusion style of cooking and fine dining. He devotes an increasing amount of his business energy to projects in his native Bangladesh, ranging from clothing and textiles to food manufacture, in an effort to raise the profile of his spiritual home and increase opportunities for Bangladeshis. Drawing upon his status as a media celebrity and TV chef, coupled with wide experience of international dining and catering, has resulted in the foundation of the Tommy Miah Institute of Hospitality Management to train young Bangladeshis and equip them to succeed in the international hospitality industry. In 2005, Tommy further extended his Bangladesh-based business interests with the launch of One Consumer Products bringing under one roof the Best of Bangladesh from original spices to fashion, textiles and household goods. He has designated 2006 as the year to further expand his Original Raj Hotel Group chain of uniquely Indian-themed boutique hotels with a planned rollout in Bangladesh, followed by a major tourism initiative in Cox’s Bazaar. ICDDR,B celebrates its new partnership with Tommy as our Goodwill Ambassador, and looks forward to the international ‘flavour’ of our research centre taking on a new meaning.
