A popular Lowestoft curry house has made it to the final of the English Curry Awards.

Lowestoft Tandoori was named as one of eight finalists from the east of England.

Boss Meheraj Alam described his nomination as "an incredibly big success, especially in Lowestoft."

He said: "People say this town is a poor opportunity but we believe that with so much love from the customers we can really succeed here.

"We only have 35 covers now so I'm struggling to fit everyone in.

"I learnt all my dishes from my grandmother, and everything is a little different to your standard curry house.

"To start with, I was working every hour I could and I'm really pleased that it's paying off.

"During the pandemic, obviously the business was struggling, but if I let my staff go I'd never be able to get as good a team again.

"We managed to keep operating by starting up a waste management business. My waiters became binmen."

The awards are a celebration of the top curry professionals in the UK, with the final shortlist being determined by a public vote ahead of a black tie ceremony on October 18 in Birmingham.