Meet Spice Man, the UK’s first Indian superhero

DSC_5037Indian fast-food chain Spice 2 Go have been harbouring a very mysterious secret – one of their members of staff is not quite who he appears to be on the outside. In his normal day, he’s decked out in Spice 2 Go’s official uniform, preparing curries, taking orders and polishing worktops; but the moment he exits the store, he’s embarking on his main mission in life – to bring justice to the hungry.

Spice Man, who stands at an imposing 6ft7 tall, wastes no time in getting as many curries out to the hungry people of Swansea as soon as his shift is over or if he’s meant to be doing a shift as a ‘delivery driver’. He has delivered curry, naans and poppadoms in epic speeds to hungry people far and wide, flying across the city of Swansea with a batch of piping hot curry in his hand.

But how did Spice Man come to be? One night, a young man named Raj Joshi (as he was called before the incident that turned him into a superhero) was sitting at home with his friends Sanjay and Tony in the living room. (He was just an ordinary guy who worked at Spice 2 Go back then.) One of his friends, Sanjay, had recently returned from India, where he’d come across a mysterious looking chilli – it wasn’t green and it wasn’t red… it was a colour no-one had seen before. Sanjay dared Raj and Tony to eat the chilli, but Tony sensibly refused, while Raj jumped at the chance to show off his machoness. Raj popped it in his mouth and began to chew. The chilli was the spiciest thing Raj had ever eaten, and he was used to eating spicy curries on a daily basis. Raj felt himself getting hotter and hotter, when… BOOM! He started transforming into a huge muscly version of himself. He also discovered that he had developed the very special ability of flight, all from eating that magical chilli! To this very day, no-one knows Spice Man’s true identity, except those three friends. And Spice Man continues to this very day, to bring justice to the hungry as the UK’s first Indian superhero.

Spice Man is often found out and about in Swansea, making friends, spreading the word of Spice 2 Go, and handing out delicious curries to the hungry. Keep an eye out for him – you never know when or where he might appear…

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Curry chain Spice 2 Go launches new improved menu

Menu-insideThe UK’s first Indian takeaway chain, Spice 2 Go, will launch its brand new and improved menu next week, which will be in full operation after the May Day bank holiday weekend. Spice 2 Go’s first store opened in Swansea in February, with many more new stores soon to appear across the UK.

The new-look menu’s changes include new dishes such as additional curries, sides, rices, desserts and poppadoms, as well as a totally different design. The menu now opens like barn doors, and is portrait instead of the original landscape design. New offers and deals are also part of Spice 2 Go’s revamp, and these are all laid out on the inside covers in a tempting array.

Not only has the Indian takeaway in Swansea added a whole new range of dishes to choose from, they’ve gone to great lengths to improve and fine-tune all their existing dishes, based on customer feedback and their own meticulous taste-tests; the presentation and taste of all the curries have now been refined to suit the wants of the customers. These changes include making the biryanis more inline with Indian traditions and methods, spicing up the hotter dishes like the Vindahoo? and Mega Madras, and improving the overall presentation of the curries with garnishes.

Specific modifications to the menu include the inclusion of poppadoms, desserts such as Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (in four flavours), a new lamb masala curry, spicy and plain chips, and boxes of Spice Bites (samosas, pakoras and onion bhajis).

The revitalisation coincides with the launch of a brand new website called the Curry Revolution which has all the nutrition and diet-information about the Spice 2 Go dishes, including ingredients and calorie contents. Check out www.curryrevolution.com to find out all about the food at Spice 2 Go.

Spice 2 Go’s mascot Spice Man, a superhero delivery driver, has been spreading the word in and around Swansea, handing out free curries, menus and leaflets to the hungry people of the city.

Check out Spice 2 Go’s website to find out more.

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Top DJ AJD signs to record label MOVIEBOX

ajdAJD, one of the UK’s leading DJs, has signed a deal with record label MOVIEBOX, for all his upcoming single releases.

AJD’s forthcoming release is now imminent, so keep an eye on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for the latest news over the next few weeks.

AJD has gone from strength to strength, and is now one of the UK’s most recognised club and wedding DJs. He started DJing at the age of 15, and has since gone on to develop a cult following within the industry. He’s known as a master performer on the decks and microphone, and has worked at events and DJ companies across the UK. He released his debut single ‘Magic’ one year ago, which received much praise from the media and led to him embarking on a tour of the UK, Dubai and Canada. It also further cemented his position as a major player on the Asian DJ-ing scene. Now, alongside the MOVIEBOX record label, he’s set to enhance his brand even further. AJD recently joined Kudos Music, after striking a deal with long-term industry friends DJ H, DJ Harj and Jas Johal in March 2013.

Use the following social media sites at the bottom of the page to keep updated on AJD’s newest release which is coming soon.

You can watch his official video for ‘Magic’ below!

Twitter.com/AJD_DJ

Facebook.com/AJD.Page

Youtube.com/AJDMusicPage

Twitter.com/1Moviebox

Facebook.com/1Moviebox

Youtube.com/Movieboxrecordlabel

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Sarika’s brand new single ‘Punjabi Suit’ out now!

'Punjabi Suit' ArtworkPunjabi Suit, the brand new single from Sarika Ft. Jeeti, is now available on iTunes and all other good digital stores. The release comes exactly a year after her debut single Morni came out. Sarika both sang and composed the hit, whilst the very talented Jeeti produced it. It was written by lyrical master, Tari Banwali Puria.

Since the release of Morni, Sarika has been studying Indian classical music and working on her vocal training. She has been passionate about music since a young age and was born into a family of music-lovers who exposed her to many different genres of music. At just five years old, Sarika could sing in three different languages – Punjabi, English and Hindi, and was also proving to have quite a talent for dancing. She said: “Whilst other kids were playing with their toys or watching cartoons I would be singing songs in front of the mirror all day or putting on a show for my family.”

Sarika’s musical influences cover a wide range, but she particularly looks up to Punjabi singer Surinder Kaur: “I love Surinder Kaur and her music. She was the first Punjabi artist I had listened to and she is probably the main reason why I started singing in Punjabi. Her lyrics and her music taught me so much about Punjabi culture.”

At just 13 years old, Sarika wrote her very first song as a way to express herself after suffering a family tragedy, through which she discovered her passion for song writing. Two years later, at the tender age of 15, Sarika recorded her very first song, which she wrote and composed herself, in a professional recording studio.

During her schooldays, Sarika studied perfoming arts, through which she gained experience and training in lots of different forms of music and dance including Ballet, Bhangra, Contemporary, Giddha, Hip Hop and Jazz.

Sarika has taken part in many musical competitions and shows across the UK, and in 2009, Sarika reached the final of Brit Asia Superstar.

Sarika’s opportunity to launch her career with the release of her debut single Morni in 2012, after she met Nirmal Sidhu and accepted into his vocal training academy. It was with his and Nav Sidhu’s support that she was able to get her career off the ground, which is going from strength to strength.

You can buy Sarika’s second single Punjabi Suit on iTunes and all other good digital stores, and you can watch the official video below!

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New dance comedy show Break The Floorboards touring

Break the FloorboardFrom 3rd May to 22nd June, Break The Floorboards, a brand new comedy dance drama from Rifco Arts will be touring the UK. The drama fuses Bollywood and Street dancing, and tells the story of a teenaged boy called Zain who wants to be a dancer, but must overcome many obstacles before he can achieve his dream. The things holding him back include a disapproving family, peer pressure, two left feet and an impending fascist march. But luckily, a chance meeting with a young dancer called Sophie who helps him on his journey, gives him hope that maybe he can achieve his Bollywood dream afterall.

Daniel Uppal, star of BBC One’s DanceX, Thriller Live and a number of mainstream music videos, will play Zain. Nathan Clarke will be playing Adil, Zain’s disgruntled older brother, and the character of Sophie will be played by Carrie Baxter.

Break The Floorboards is being directed by Pravesh Kumar, Artistic Director of Rifco Arts and the talent behind their numerous hit shows (Britain’s Got Bhangra, The Deranged Marriage, Where’s My Desi Soulmate?). It’s written by broadcaster, journalist, writer and performer Yasmeen Khan. The production is choreographed by Andy Kumar (Rifco Arts Creative Associate and Bollywood film Choreographer) and Associate Choreographer Maria Swainson(Flashdance the Musical, Daddy Cool, Emeli Sande, Labrinth, The Saturdays). The set design has been done by Libby Watson (A Fine Bright Day Today, The Deranged Marriage) with lighting design by Mark Dymock. The composer is Sumeet Chopra who composed the popular score for Britain’s Got Bhangra.

The dates and venues of the tour are:

Watford Palace Theatre 3 – 11 May

Warwick Arts Centre 21 – 25 May

Oxford Playhouse 30 May – 1 June

Oldham Coliseum Theatre 4 – 8 June

Key Theatre, Peterborough 11 – 15 June

Theatre Royal Windsor 18 – 22 June

Watch the video below to take a peak behind the scenes of Break The Floorboards, hear the cast and crew talking about the show, and see some of the preparations and rehearsals in action.

 

For more information on how to book, go to www.rifcoarts.com.

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Bollywood star Mika Singh to play at Wembley

dhamakaBollywood star Mika Singh has announced he will be playing at Wembley Arena later on this year in his UK debut.

Bollywood singer-songwriter king Mika will be the headline act at this year’s Dhamaka concert, the UK’s annual Bollywood and Bhangra concert, which is organised by Flex FX. Mika will be supported by Bollywood dance group Bolly Flex, who found fame on Sky1’s dance competition show, Got To Dance.

Naz Choudhury, from Flex FX, said: “We are really excited to bring Mika Singh to the UK and really happy this will be his exclusive debut, he is a powerhouse performer and deserves a solo stage and I’m really excited to host him.
“This show will be dedicated to a fusion between Bhangra culture and Bollywood music, so expect a range of supporting dhol acts and Bhangra dancers, Bolly Flex will be performing with Mika throughout the show to bring to life the signature dance moves.”

He will also be embarking on his first ever UK tour, starting in June 2013. His song for various Bollywood blockbuster soundtracks include Singh Is King, Pungi and Chinta Ta Chita.

Mika’s concert follows Dhamaka 2012, which was headlined by Atif Aslam, as well as the recent series of Bollywood Showstoppers concerts in London and Birmingham.

Choudhury added: “This is the first time we are doing a Punjabi-style concert, so we will go all out on the experience to give the audiences the taste of Punjab.”

“For that it doesn’t get bigger than Mika. He has single-handedly sold out and blown away audiences worldwide with his range of super hit songs.”

Watch Mika Singh’s official promo video below:

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National Junior Curry Chef competition winners announced

The winners of the annual Junior Curry Chef competition have been announced. The cooking contest took place in the UK’s ‘curry capital’ Bradford, at Bradford College. Nine young chefs took part, eight of which were from Bradford, and one from Newcastle.

Contestants had 90 minutes to cook one main dish and two accompaniments to impress the judges in the hope of becoming Junior Curry Chef 2013.

There are two categories in the competition: 16-and-under and 18-and-under. The two first prize winners from both categories were Aishah Amin, 15, of Queensbury School, and Abel Petho, 18, a student at Newcastle College. Curry queen Aishah won £200 for her seafood masala dish served with basmati rice and masoor dahl. Abel cooked a Northumbrian Red Lamb Curry, which got him crowned curry king.

Aishah’s brother Faris Amin, 17, took second place in the 18-and-under category with his chicken salan dish.

Aishah said: “I can’t quite believe I won, I am really surprised. We both cook a lot at home with our family. It was tough today. I felt a lot of pressure with people watching.”

First place winner in the 18-and-under category Abel Petho, who is originally from Hungary but now lives in Tyneside, perfected his recipe with the help of John Connell, who was crowned North East Chef of the Year last year. Abel said before the competition: “I have always wanted to be a chef ever since I can remember and now that I have worked alongside someone of John’s caliber, I’m confident that I can impress the judges.”

His mentor John said of Abel: “Abel has impressed me with his keenness to learn and his passion for Indian food.”

The competition is hosted by Bradford College’s Department of Hospitality and Travel each year. It is now in its third year and has previously featured biggest bhaji and largest samosa challenges to drum up Indian cooking excitement in the run up to the actual event.

Competition organiser Colin Burt said: “In this year’s regional heats there were some strong contenders and they did not let us down in today’s final. It was a very close call, but luckily there was no ‘argy-bhaji’ amongst the judging panel who were unanimous in choosing two very worthy winners in Aishah and Abel. I’m sure they have a great future ahead of them.”

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DJ H cuts the ribbon at the first Spice 2 Go store launch

Bhangra and Bollywood music were brought to life when Spice 2 Go launched its first store in Swansea on Wednesday 20th of February. As the UK’s first Indian fast food chain, Spice 2 Go spares no detail when it comes to creating those delicious curries – or the launch day entertainment for that matter!

Celebrating all that is Indian, Spice 2 Go lit up the streets of Swansea with foot-tapping bhangra music, authentic Indian drum playing and the moves to match with Bollywood dancers brought in exclusively from London for the event. The colourful costumes of the entertainers coupled with the vibrant decor of the Spice 2 Go store itself was an attractive sight that brought in passers-by who were curious to find out more about the brand. The Spice 2 Go staff were stationed outside the store, busy handing free tasters and discount vouchers to Swansea residents who walked past the store.

Swansea University student Yushi was one of the many who sampled the Spice 2 Go range of curries. He said: “The food is really good. I’m glad I was walking this way! I’m a really big curry fan as well and the branding of the store stood out. It caught my eye, that’s for sure.”

Another satisfied customer was Cal who is a negotiator for an estate agency: “I order Indian a lot, and nothing ever tastes the same. With Spice 2 Go, I think the food is brilliant. Better than I expected to be honest.”

And the entertainment for the launch event was no less attractive. With an Indian musical and dance show bringing Swansea’s Dillwyn Street to life, the Spice 2 Go launch day festivities brought in customers from across the city who were keen to be part of the curry revolution. Guests also had the opportunity to have their photo taken in an exclusive Spice 2 Go photo booth – complete with quirky costumes and accessories to create memorable photos!

The store was inaugurated by popular Brit-Asian music producer/dj DJ H who was the star of the event. Known for such hits like ‘Aaja Aaja’, ‘Mar Javan’, ‘Jawani’ and ‘Char Panj’, the presence of DJ H was another feather to Spice 2 Go’s already expanding cap. Having tasted the curries himself, the DJ was full of praises: “This is an Indian takeaway with a difference! With this launch, Spice 2 Go has managed to bring the essence of Indian culture to the forefront – not just with the Bollywood dancing and the dhol (Indian drums) playing but also with the colours and the excitement that it has created is a true reflection of our culture and festivities. Even the Spice 2 Go logo with its reds, oranges and greens is what Indian food and culture is all about. It’s very colourful.”

Interested bystanders were caught up in the Spice 2 Go launch day extravaganza as many took to the dance floors themselves in tune with the bhangra music. It was a different day in the life of Swansea as never before had an Indian takeaway created such media hype before it even opened its doors!

Before long, the orders were pouring in as the fully-trained Spice 2 Go staff worked in unison to serve orders and deliveries in record time and truly living up to its reputation as an Indian fast food chain. While the entertainment ended by 5pm, Swansea’s appetite for Spice 2 Go was only getting started as the orders continued into the night until the store closed business for the first day at 11pm.

Despite the fact that the launch day activities are over, the Spice 2 Go journey has only just begun. As the UK’s first Indian fast food chain, Spice 2 Go is on a mission to redefine the Indian takeaway experience with sleek stores, trained staff, vibrant branding, exciting uniforms and exclusive Spice 2 Go delivery vehicles to make sure that orders reach customers in a quick and efficient manner. The company is also the first to have introduced a dedicated Online Ordering System that allows customers to track their previous orders and take advantage of special online deals. Similarly, Spice 2 Go can also access customers’ previous order histories linked to their phones when they call the store to place their orders, thus allowing for a more customised service.

Having done away with plastic carrier bags and introduced paper carrier boxes for their curries, the Spice 2 Go curry revolution has only just begun. With another store in Swansea’s Neath Road to open soon and a third planned for Cardiff in the next few months, expect to find a Spice 2 Go near you very soon!

Spice 2 Go is located at 11 Dillwyn Street, Swansea SA1 4AQ and is open from 11am – 11pm.

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Spice up Pancake Day with curry pancakes this year

With it being Pancake Day tomorrow, why not spice things up a bit by giving it an Asian twist by trying out a curry pancake recipe?

Traditionally, pancakes are eaten with sugar, lemon or chocolate sauce on Pancake Day, but who says you have to stick to tradition? There’s some delicious Indian-inspired pancake recipes out there for you to try, so why not give them a go this Pancake Day!

The first recipe – Indian potato pancakes with curry-lime yoghurt – is perfect as a side dish or if you’re preparing dinner for a large number of people. It will make 24 pancakes that are packed with spices including turmeric and cumin. This is a great twist on the traditional Pancake Day pancake and is a relatively quick and easy recipe, so why not add it to your list of signature dishes?

The next recipe, called simply “Curry Pancakes” serves six people, and can be served on their own or with whatever toppings or fillings you fancy! Ordinary pancakes can taste a bit bland on their own, but these curry-flavoured pancakes are anything but bland! The recipe is really quick and easy, and you only need four ingredients. So you have no excuse not to make this delicious, savoury, Asian-inspired take on pancakes tomorrow!

Got leftover curry and don’t fancy curry and rice for dinner again tomorrow? Well, why not make it into a pancake for Pancake Day?! Chicken and coconut curry pancakes are a delicious way of incorporating curry and pancakes together to make a yummy dinner that serves four. This is slightly more complicated than the other curry recipes listed, but it’s well worth the extra time and effort!

This recipe works brilliantly as an appetiser, and is a really traditional Indian dish. Puda (aka Chilla in some parts of India) is a vegetarian savoury pancake dish made with chickpea flour and semolina. This is the perfect recipe if you really want to Indianise your pancakes tomorrow! In case you aren’t sure what “cilantro” is, it’s just another word for coriander!

Hopefully these recipes will provide you with plenty of Indian inspiration so you will have a flipping great Pancake Day!

 

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New wedding car comparison website caters to Asian weddings

Asian weddings are gearing up for a year of celebration and festivities as the season of weddings kick off in 2013. Colourful sarees and lehengas, impressive wedding venues ranging from mandaps to gurdwaras, catching up with distant relatives and friends in an event that sprawls a few days – an Asian wedding is more than just tying the knot. Famous across the world for its attention to glamour, delicious food and opulence, Asian weddings require minute planning to achieve the successful day.

A big part of Asian weddings is the entrance in a grand wedding car adorned with fragrant flowers and colourful ribbons. Finding the wedding car may be a stressful process with the many choices for models, colours and deals available on the market today. However, there is  hope in sight with the launch of a website dedicated to finding the best deals on wedding cars!

Compareweddingcars.co.uk does exactly what it says on the tin; offering couples across the country access to a comprehensive wedding comparison service that allows them to fine-tune their wedding car choices and find the best fit for their big day.

With Compareweddingcars.co.uk, couples can choose from chauffeur-driven and self-drive wedding car hire to fit their budget and their wedding theme. The website has a specialised Asian wedding car hire service that factors in the details exclusive to Indian, Pakistani and other Asian weddings to find wedding cars that will complement and enhance the big day.

A recent customer of Compareweddingcars.co.uk said: “This service has been absolutely fabulous! We didn’t spend ages trying to find a wedding car thanks to Compare Wedding Cars. It’s a simple online process – we just typed in our preferences and had a list of suitable wedding cars to choose from displayed in front of us. The team are very friendly and aware of the nuances of Asian weddings which made the journey and the whole day more comfortable and enjoyable for both us and our guests.”

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