THREE Dumbarton curry houses have been named among the finalists for the 11th annual Scottish Curry Awards.

Nominations have flooded in from all corners of the country to acknowledge and celebrate the effort, attitude, devotion and service that the very best individuals and establishments of the Scottish Curry industry put into every single meal.

Dumbarton, which was grouped in the south-west region of Scotland, has a chance of winning in three separate categories.

The Taj Tandoori, West Bridgend, Dumbarton, is one of 10 finalists listed as Take-Away of the Year. They have been serving Dumbarton the Indian Takeaway Cuisine since 1986.

The adjoining Dining Room, is one of five nominees from the south-west in the running for Best Loved Restaurant.

Owner of both, Amar Ali, said: “We have been runner-up a few times. The reason behind our success is the recruitment of highly skilled chefs and consistency of high standards.”

In the category for Best Dining Experience of the Year, the Masala Twist, Dumbarton Road, Milton is among the six representatives from the south-west who have been nominated.

Simon Masih, manager of the Masala Twist, said: “We have been finalists in the competition before, hopefully we can come out winners this year.”

The restaurant is one of six of a franchise throughout Scotland. In Dumbarton they have 12 members of a staff: five employees in the kitchen, three in front of house and four part-time workers.

The awards ceremony will be held on April 16 at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Irfan Younis, CEO of event organisers Oceanic Consulting, said: “The Scottish Curry Awards are very important to us with these being the first ever event organized by Oceanic Consulting and that led us on to launch the English Curry Awards and more recently, The London Curry Awards. We have seen the industry grow and flourish year on year despite the challenges that they have faced and we look forward to honouring that at the awards ceremony.”

The evening will also help to raise funds for The Well Foundation, a charity with a vision to provide safe, clean drinking water for all.