{{Short description|Bangladeshi-born British chef (born 1959)}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox chef <!-- for more information see :Template:Infobox chef/doc --> | name = Tommy Miah | image = | image_size = 220px | caption = | birth_name = Mohammad Ajman Miah | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|3|28|df=y}} | birth_place = South Sylhet Mahakuma, Chittagong Division, East Pakistan | death_date = | death_place = | style = Bengali cuisine | education = Aston Manor School | prevrests = Curry Capital (formerly Rupali) | spouse = {{marriage|Rina Miah|1975}} | ratings = | restaurants = Raj Restaurant | television = | website = {{URL|tommymiahuk.com}} }}
'''Mohammad Ajman Miah''' ({{langx|bn|মোহাম্মদ আজমান মিয়া}}), MBE FRSA (born 28 March 1959), better known by his nickname '''Tommy Miah''', is a Bangladeshi-born British chef, owner of the Raj Restaurant and founder of the International Indian Chef of the Year Competition.<ref name="tommymiah">{{cite web|url=http://www.tommymiah.com/|title=Biography|website=tommymiah.com|access-date=24 May 2009|archive-date=30 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230174334/http://www.tommymiah.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=January 2023}} He is often recognised as the "Curry King" in Britain.{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}}
==Early life== Miah was born in a village in South Sylhet subdivision, Chittagong Division, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He arrived at the age of 10 in Birmingham, England. He was interested in food and cooking due to which he began working in the catering industry.<ref name="icd">{{cite web|url=https://www.icddrb.org/component/news/?id=412&task=view|title=The new international flavour of ICDDR,B|website=ICDDR,B|date=20 April 2011|access-date=28 January 2023}}</ref> He began by starting his own small takeout restaurant at the age of 17.<ref name="bbwhoswho08">{{cite book|last1=Karim|first1=Mohammed Abdul|last2=Karim|first2=Shahadoth|title=British Bangladeshi Who's Who|url=http://www.bbwhoswho.co.uk/Profile/Miah,%20Mr%20Tommy.pdf|date=July 2008|publisher=British Bangla Media Group|page=155|access-date=1 August 2008|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923182855/http://www.bbwhoswho.co.uk/Profile/Miah,%20Mr%20Tommy.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=January 2023}}
==Career== Miah established himself in Edinburgh and founded Raj Restaurant. In 1991, he founded the International Indian Chef of the Year Competition- which attracts 5000 entrants from around the world- to promote innovation and quality in Indian cooking.<ref name="indianchefoftheyear">{{cite web |url=http://www.indianchefoftheyear.com/|title=The Indian Chef of the Year|access-date=24 May 2009}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=January 2023}}
He was chosen to head the first South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Food Festival in Delhi. He was also selected by the Bangladesh Foreign Office to represent Bangladesh, cooking typical Bangladeshi staple dishes.<ref name="chupmagazine">{{cite news |title=Tommy Miah Heads SAARC Festival Team |work=Chup Magazine |url=http://www.chupmagazine.com/tommy.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=24 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908080322/http://www.chupmagazine.com/tommy.htm |archive-date=8 September 2008 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Source appears to be a defunct obscure magazine?|date=January 2023}}
Miah established the Tommy Miah Institute of Hospitality Management, which is an institution which trains Bangladeshis in the international hospitality industry. He also owns the Original Raj Hotel in Murrayfield and The Heritage Restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh.<ref name="ittefaq">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.ittefaq.com/tech/archives/2006/08/curry_king_puts_1.html|title=Curry King puts word of his recipes out by text|location=Bangladesh|work=The Daily Ittefaq|date=August 2006|access-date=24 May 2009|archive-date=20 August 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820161347/http://blogs.ittefaq.com/tech/archives/2006/08/curry_king_puts_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS), appears to be a blog|date=January 2023}}
Miah's achievements include delivering a curry lunch-box to 10 Downing Street for the then Prime Minister John Major's 50th birthday, producing the world's largest curry, which was large enough to feed 10,000, promoting innovation and quality in Asian cuisine, developing dishes for high class manufacturers, writing cooking books. He was the first to make Indian meals available on flights worldwide.<ref name="icd"/><ref name="ittefaq"/>{{Better source needed|reason=One permanent deadlink, one blog|date=January 2023}} He has sponsored many charity groups both in Bangladesh and Britain, which include Cancer Research UK, Shishu Polli, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, and the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital.<ref name="curriesonline">{{cite web|url=http://www.curriesonline.co.uk/currypedia/tommy-miah-corner.html|title=Tommy Miah|work=CurryPedia|publisher=Curries Online|access-date=3 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501042042/http://www.curriesonline.co.uk/currypedia/tommy-miah-corner.html|archive-date=1 May 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=CurryPedia? Does not appear to be RS|date=January 2023}} Tommy Miah runs food hygiene classes for refugee camps in Bangladesh, and also sponsors foreign students to study in the UK.{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}}
==Awards and recognition== In 2004, Miah was elected a fellow of Royal Society of Arts.<ref name="britbangla">{{cite web|url=http://www.britbangla.net/successprofiles.html#tommy|title=British Bengali Success Stories|publisher=BritBangla|year=2003|access-date=6 May 2011|archive-date=15 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015001022/http://www.britbangla.net/successprofiles.html#tommy|url-status=live}} Tommy Miah</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=January 2023}}
In 2017, Miah was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for his services to the hospitality industry and charity.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|last=Furness|first=Hannah|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/16/queens-birthday-honours-arise-sir-billy-connolly-paul-mccartney/|title=Queen's Birthday Honours: Arise Sir Billy Connolly as Paul McCartney, JK Rowling and Delia Smith given honours|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=16 June 2017|access-date=1 July 2017|archive-date=17 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617092549/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/16/queens-birthday-honours-arise-sir-billy-connolly-paul-mccartney/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.tommymiah.com/Home.html}} *[http://www.bbwhoswho.co.uk/Profile/Miah,%20Mr%20Tommy.pdf Tommy Miah] on ''British Bangladeshi Who's Who''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miah, Tommy}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:British Muslims Category:Bangladeshi emigrants to Scotland Category:Bangladeshi emigrants to England Category:British chefs Category:Chefs of Indian cuisine Category:British restaurateurs Category:Bangladeshi businesspeople Category:People from Moulvibazar District Category:Bangladeshi Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom