Owner, Entrepreneur Enam Ali MBE, AHCIMA FRSA

Born in Sylhet in 1960 and encouraged into food by his mother, aunt and grandmother. Career : Trained in Bangladesh and travelled in India, Germany, America, and Canada before opening Le Raj in Epsom in 1990. Enam Ali is one of the most prominent Asian personalities in the United Kingdom. Known for his leadership and passionate concern for the interests of the restaurant industry and of British Bangladeshis, he is frequently to be seen and heard in the UK's print and TV media acting as a spokesman for his business sector and as an unofficial ambassador for the country of his birth. For 18 years, the special cuisine and friendly atmosphere at his award-winning restaurant, Le Raj, situated in Epsom, Surrey, on the outskirts of London, has attracted politicians, show-business celebrities and media personalities and has gained him their friendship, recognition and support. A restaurateur's life is about service and that theme continues whenever he represents the UK's successful 'ethnic' restaurant sector in matters relating to regulation and parliamentary legislation. He serves on the Home Office Hospitality advisory panel and this year he has been lobbying at the House of Lords to ensure fairness in the UK government's treatment of legitimate migrant workers. Membership of the Portcullis Club also gives him social contact with many of the Members of Parliament who initiate and shape the laws of the land. So, where did this all start? As a young native of Sylhet he studied hard and enjoyed competitive sports and, after dabbling with the world of commercial Aviation, he headed for the UK where, having obtained a degree in hospitality and management, he entered the restaurant management profession. It was not widely known that the vast majority of the UK's 'Indian' restaurants were actually owned and run by people of Banglaeshi origin. Enam recognised the need to build a stronger international identity for his home country to ensure that Bangladeshis were correctly credited for their innovative approach and resourcefulness. In 1992 Enam became 'International Indian Chef of the Year' 1992/3 and launched 'Raj Avion' and the Dine Bangladeshi initiative, encouraging Bangladeshi restaurant owners across Britain to take pride in their heritage by displaying the country's flag with the distinctive 'Dine Bangladeshi' logo. The operation was successful in raising awareness and beginning to change the UK public's perception of Bangladesh. Enam recalls: "Within a few months, the campaign gained huge media coverage. Some restaurant owners even changed the 'Indian' name of their restaurant to Bangladeshi and started to include traditional Bengali dishes on the menu. Most importantly the UK's public began to replace the false impression of Bangladesh and its people as a burden when they saw the significant contribution we are making to the their lifestyle and economy." While seeking backing from fellow restaurateurs, Enam recognised the need for a formal support network for Bangladeshis in the UK so that Bangladeshi-owned restaurants were well represented and warranted a voice at decision-making level. As a result, in November 1995, the co-ordinators of the Dine Bangladeshi campaign officially launched the Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, enabling the media to publicise an industry concerned to maintain the very highest standards while promoting Bangladeshi cuisine to the British public. Taking a step further in this direction seemed logical to Enam and, in 1998 he launched 'Spice Business', a top quality quarterly trade magazine featuring articles in English and Bengali, combining up-to-the-minute information on the restaurant sector and community news. Today it boasts a quarterly readership of over 100,000 and, as Enam points out, "Spice Business magazine has succeeded in opening new channels of communication for the Asian restaurant community to give our needs the authority they deserve." In 2005, his ability to create success was applied to the launch of the British Curry Awards with the intention of generating positive publicity for the best in local curry restaurants throughout the UK. Much hard work was finally rewarded when the spectacular awards ceremony took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Central London and the winners were announced. Winning restaurants throughout the UK gained much local publicity and the event helped raise the profile of this sector on a national, and international level as well.. Despite the heavy demands on his time, Enam manages to balance work, community and family life. He is married, with two sons and a daughter, and they are a constant source of support and pleasure. The many participants in the business he leads are also treated like family members, and this extended family appreciates and benefits from the leadership he gives them. Through Le Raj, his Epsom restaurant Enam Ali has raised over £600,000 in charitable donations and is presently the only Asian restauranteur to have been awarded the prestigious fellowship of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs - an international society devoted to the highest standards of cuisine, and the quality of the dining experience which surrounds it. As an exemplary leader in his field, Enam Ali has been instrumental in giving British Bangladeshis a much stronger identity and far greater respect within the United Kingdom. He has also helped create greater awareness of the achievement of those in the Bangladeshi restaurant industry Enam with Prime Minister Tony Blair Enam with BBC's Rita Payne & Madhur Jaffrey at The British Curry Awards Awarded MBE for Services to Banglashi & Indian Restaurant Industry in 2009 New Year's Honours List Fellow of Restaurant Hall of Fame (FRHF)