A Stoke-on-Trent restaurant owner has been crowned 'Chef of the Year' at a national curry award ceremony hosted at the House of Lords.

Muhammad Ali, the head chef and owner at Ali's Kitchen on The Strand, Longton, received the recognition at the National Curry Awards 2026.

The chef was announced as the winner at the ceremony in the prestigious Cholmondeley Room and Terrace in The House of Lords in October.

Muhammad said: "We didn't think we would win it.

"When they called my name, I was so surprised. I was over the moon.

"Ali's Kitchen has won awards before, but to win this national award in the House of Lords was very special."

Muhammed was nominated for the award by his customers, who also voted to help crown him the winner.

He added: "I want to thank all of the customers for their support. I am very grateful."

Muhammad was previously crowned 'Best Chef of the Year' at The Curry Life Awards 2025 last October.

The restaurant owner was also one of the finalists in the chef of the year category in the second British Curry Championship 2026, in June this year.

A spokesperson for Ali's Kitchen said: "This remarkable achievement recognises Chef Ali's passion, dedication, exceptional culinary skills and commitment to delivering authentic Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine.

"From humble beginnings to receiving national recognition at the House of Lords, this award represents years of hard work, determination and an unwavering passion for food.

"A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful customers, dedicated team, family, friends and local community. Your continued love, loyalty and support have made this incredible achievement possible.

"This award is not just for Chef Ali — it belongs to everyone who has supported Ali's Kitchen throughout our journey."

Ali's Kitchen is also about to hit another milestone, as the restaurant prepares to celebrate its fourth birthday on 22 November.

The restaurant, which has a food hygiene rating of five, opened in 2022.

To mark the anniversary, customers are currently being offered a 25 per cent discount on main meals from Sundays to Thursdays up until 19 November.

On 22 November, customers can celebrate alongside the Ali's Kitchen team with £10 dining tickets.

Christmas bookings are also now open.

To find out more about Ali's Kitchen, and to book a table, visit the website here.

This is a sponsored article. If it wasn't for sponsors like Ali's Kitchen, our news site would not be possible - thank you.

If you own a local business and would like to sponsor us, get in touch at [email protected].