Thread: OH NO! OH NO!!! "Curry crisis" in south London

"Curry crisis" in south London
By Gemma Wheatley

A Streatham curry restaurant owner is campaigning against what she has labelled a "curry crisis" in the area.

Neelofar Khan, owner of Chilli Chutney, which has branches in Streatham High Road as well as in the Allders Department Store in Croydon, says that there is a severe lack of talented chefs due to new immigration laws.

For years, many staff in the UK's 9,000 curry restaurants have been recruited directly from Bangladesh.

But restrictions on the workers have been tighter since eastern Europeans were given employment rights.

As a result Mrs Khan says that many businesses are unable to expand and grow, including her own, and others are facing closure.

The mother-of-three said: "This is all about the new immigration laws and about the point based system. What that will mean is that chefs here on work permits may not be able to stay and new chefs will not be able to come into the UK as it is now focused much more on education rather than skills.

advertisement"It is a £1billion industry in the UK and it would be a great shame if it were to fall apart."

According to the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS), there are thousands of vacancies in curry houses across the country.

It says that restrictions on lower-skilled workers from outside the EU are causing a labour shortage so severe it could cause "irreparable damage" to the curry industry.

It argues that attempts to get eastern Europeans to work in curry restaurants have failed because they do not have the "cultural sensitivity" required.

Mrs Khan added: "These Eastern European chefs know about curry but not like Indian chefs. However the problem is that many Indian chefs do not have an education or the ability to speak the English language.

"There is a massive lack of skills for this type of cooking in Europe and Britain and it is getting to the point where many restaurants in Croydon and the whole of south London are being forced to close because there is not enough chefs."

http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news ... london.php

It argues that attempts to get eastern Europeans to work in curry restaurants have failed because they do not have the "cultural sensitivity" required.

Mrs Khan added: "These Eastern European chefs know about curry but not like Indian chefs. However the problem is that many Indian chefs do not have an education or the ability to speak the English language.

"There is a massive lack of skills for this type of cooking in Europe and Britain and it is getting to the point where many restaurants in Croydon and the whole of south London are being forced to close because there is not enough

Well.....you either work with educated chefs about "cultural sensativity" or you get an education and speak English.

Besides....I don't get this "cultural" business....you aren't in India anymore. How many Europeans are making this type of cooking really popular or are they just catering to mostly Indian people and want to use the "culture" card to keep everyone else out.

I don't think there's 2 people....professional or not, who cook exactly the same. You don't have to be Italian to cook an Italian meal. So in a side by side taste test....I wonder if they could tell who cooked the meal?

It's a mixed bag here......there are good cooks and chefs. Book learning doesn't make you a good cook and a good cook doesn't make you a chef. A chef can probably cook a good Italian meal, fry up some good Southern Fried Chicken and cook a decent Indian meal. But can the Indian cook do anything other than just cook good Indian meals? Do they know food safety and all the other legalities?

Seems there could be some mid-way compromise. Learn English and take food sanitation courses....or wake up and realize someone other than an Indian can cook an Indian meal and work with the "cultural sensitivity" issue. Or close shop and move back to India.

But restrictions on the workers have been tighter since eastern Europeans were given employment rights.

God, imagine that! Europeans being given "more" employment rights in their own country, or should I say in their Union?

Seems as if they are using curry as an excuse to bring in more of their fellow countrymen.

In America, the cook working in the Italian restraunt is more likely to be from Mexico City rather than anywhere near Italy!

one politicians can do correct . Screw everything up . One they want this , next second they change to that . Why do they need Indian Chefs ? Low pay?
Didn't Brit's use to run their own Curry feedbags ? sensitivity ? Give me a break . They'll Unionize like our Illegals who now run Vegas for employment and thats the end of the Curry . People sure as hell make their own problems