Mohammad Ajman Miah, MBEFRSA, better known as Tommy Miah, is a Bangladeshi-born Britishcelebrity chef, owner of the award-winning Raj Restaurant and founder of the InternationalIndian Chef of the Year Competition. He is often recognised as the "Curry King" in Britain.
Early life
Miah was born in a village in South Sylhet Mahakuma, Chittagong Division, East Pakistan. He arrived at the age of 10 to Birmingham, England, with limited knowledge of English. He became interested in food and cooking due to which he began by working in the catering industry. He began by starting his own small takeout restaurant at the age of 17. Throughout the years working with hard work and determination, led to success in his business.
Career
Miah established himself in Edinburgh and founded the award-winning Raj Restaurant. In 1991, he founded the International Indian Chef of the Year Competition, to promote innovation and quality in Indian cooking, which attracts 5000 entrants from around the world. The competition also consists of an event to raise funds for the Sreepur Village Orphanage in Bangladesh. He was chosen to head the first South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Food Festival in Delhi. He was also selected by the Bangladesh Foreign Office to represent Bangladesh, cooking typical Bangladeshi staple dishes. With his status being as a celebrity chef, including having his own television show in Bangladesh, and with the experience of international dining and catering, Miah has established the foundation of the Tommy Miah Institute of Hospitality Management, which is an institution which trains Bangladeshis in the international hospitality industry. In Bangladesh, Miah's recipes for of any types of cuisine such as Bangladeshi, Thai, Indian and Chinese meals can be requested through text message from any Banglalinkmobile phone. He also owns the Original Raj Hotel in Murrayfield and The Heritage Restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Miah's achievements includes, delivering a curry lunch-box to 10 Downing Street for the then Prime Minister John Major's 50th birthday, producing the world's largest curry which was large enough to feed 10,000, promoting innovation and quality in Asian cuisine, developing dishes for high class manufacturers, writing cooking books, and he was the first to make Indian meals available on flights worldwide. He has sponsored for many charity groups both in Bangladesh and Britain, which includes, 'Cancer Research UK,' ‘Shishu Polli,' ‘Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed' and the 'ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital.' Tommy Miah runs food hygiene classes for refugee camps in Bangladesh, and also sponsors foreign students to study in the UK.
