Anne Main celebrated last night with the Chilli Raj restaurant in Stanhope Road, St Albans, after they beat off stiff competition to win the silver medal in the Tilda Tiffin Cup.

Anne Main, MP for St Albans celebrated last night with the Chilli Raj restaurant in Stanhope Road, St Albans, after they beat off stiff competition to win the silver medal in the Tilda Tiffin Cup curry awards at a ceremony at the House of Commons last night.

The Chilli Raj was one of ten regional finalists selected from entrants from around the country invited to a 'cook off' competition in the Palace of Westminster, which was judged by ten experts including celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott and the Editor of Tandoori Magazine, Humayun Hussain.

Anne said:

"The standard of cuisine on offer last night was absolutely top class, so it is a real testament to everyone at the Chilli Raj that they did so well. There were some nail biting moments as the top three restaurants were announced, and the Abdul brothers, and their prize-winning chef, were absolutely delighted to win such a prestigious award, which recognises them as one of the top curry restaurants in the country.

Ainsley Harriot was particularly impressed by their salmon-based fusion dish, and commended the chef's light touch. He even went as far as saying that he would be making a special visit to St Albans in the near future to sample further delights from the Chilli Raj.

This award underlines once again that St Albans is a great destination for food-lovers. The Chilli Raj is tucked away on the corner of Stanhope Road, and it's certainly worth making the effort to seek it out."

Photo: Anne with Chilli owners and chef, Ainsley Harriot and John Bercow, MP for Buckingham"