Editor Peter J. Grove

Restaurant Hall of Fame P.O.Box 416 Surbiton Surrey KT1 9BJ 020 8399 4831

Born in Hornchurch, Essex to Alice and William Grove 30 April 1942 - sister Pamela. Daughters Samantha and Corrie from first marriage. Married to Colleen for over 20 years with daughters Stephanie and Maddie. Education : Originally educated at Ilford County High School to go on to Exeter University then London School of Economics reading BSc (Econ) externally. Represented Essex, Southern Counties and England in swimming and Essex in water polo. Also played club tennis. Career : Worked for Union Castle Shipping Company as a statistician/market researcher travelling to Greece, Turkey and Canaries then went into the travel industry, planning specialist tours such as West Ham FC in Europe and England Football Supporters Club to Mexico World Cup.Worked with British Airways and several other airlines and travelled worldwide particularly to Florida, Japan, Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya and Malawi. Ran his own travel company for a while creating The World Sports Supporters Club with special focus on Sierra Leone, Zambia and Malawi, then started Asset Promotions Ltd from Wigmore Street in London and continued with specialist travel whilst making TV style travel documentaries on Zambia, Malawi, Australia, Kenya, Florida and Windsurfing in the Caribbean. Invited into journalism through sport experience. Worked for World of Sport, Daily Express & Daily Mail in sport and an early member of the Sports Writers Association (now Sports Journalists Association) serving on the committee for 3 years. Edited Florida World News and All Sports International newspaper for 10 years and still edits the online version today. Wrote 'The Ergonomics of Sport & Leisure Facilities, World of Sport Almanac and Sports Form Guide' plus a sci-fi novel "The Levellers" published by Robert Hale and a series of children's books entitled "The Bornington Chronicles". Currently completing two novels based in Florida and Malta. Served under Sir Rocco Forte and Lord Westmoreland on the fundraising committee for the 1978 Commonwealth Games involved in such events as the Radio Luxemburg Roadshow throughout Britain in the company of national sports stars.. Edited 'Guide to UK Hotels with Leisure Facilities' for Harmsworth, part of the Daily Mail Group. Through deep practical knowledge of restaurants was then asked to edit The National Restaurant Directory for sponsors Carlsberg then The Real Curry Restaurant Guide in 1990 (and every year since then), The Oriental Restaurant Directory, The Italian Restaurant Directory and The Mood Food Restaurant Directory. Also edited the Florida Restaurant Directory and Florida World News for UK tourists. Has edited Spice n Easy, and Masala magazines and Menu Magazine for over 13 years (now Mood Food Magazine). Writes on a freelance basis for newspapers and appears on radio and TV as required as an expert in ethnic food and drink. Started the Best in Britain Awards (BIBA) for the Asian restaurant sector in 1992 and then National Curry Week raising funds for charity which started as National Curry Day in 1997 and Curry Capital of Britain in 1999. Worked with Chartered Institute for Environmental Health for 3 years running their National Curry Chef competition. Recently co-wrote 'Curry Culture - a very British love affair' with his highly knowledgeable wife Colleen who has also been his work colleague since 1976. In 2010 published 'The Flavours of History' after 6 years of research. Runs several major websites on ethnic food and drink and sport with over 1 million visitors a month. Recently compiled Restaurant Hall of Fame to celebrate the history of ethnic food in Britain and is President of The Federation of Specialist Restaurants and founder of The Curry Tree Charitable Fund. Compiled Top Indian Restaurants list for The Times 2009 and Independent 2010. Best Sporting moments : Seeing Mill Reef win the Derby and walking down the 18th as a journalist with the leaders in the World Matchplay at Wentworth Best Experience : Birth of Children (all four of them). Best Dining moment : Anniversary meal prepared by Executive Chef Udit Sarkhel at London's Bombay Brasserie Hobbies : Not time for much but still enjoys swimming, travelling, reading and, of course, eating out, visiting hundreds of restaurants every year. Sports include swimming, tennis, table tennis, football (Arsenal fan since 12 years old). Served on Tolworth Girls School PTA for 8 years , the last four as Treasurer and is an Exam Invigilator there. Judge for British Curry Awards 2006-10. Ambitions : More of the same. "I have escaped a rebel camp in Rhodesia ; gambled with Bedouins in the Sahara ; been shot at on the Knife Edge Bridge at Victoria Falls ; been threatened by sharks at the Great Barrier Reef ; flown in a light plane with a mad ex Raf pilot under Victoria Falls ; been attacked by elephants in Lluangwa Park, Zambia ; been lost alone in the bush at night in Zambia ; been bitten by a snake in Malawi; been mistaken for Prince Charles in Tokyo and Bobby Moore in Mexico!!! ; swum with Flipper in Florida ; windsurfed in shark-infested waters in Florida ; met mob gansters in Miami ; hidden from police in Mexico and Dom Mintoff's security people in Malta and been to major sporting events all over the world - I wonder what's next?" Wife & soul mate Colleen