Since news broke that an Indian in Caversham was shortlisted for a Takeaway of the Year award, I had to see what all the fuss was about. 

The owner of Caversham Tandoori Mohammed Siraj said that he and the team are delighted to have got this far in such a prestigious competition. 

"It means a lot to our takeaway as it is the first time we have been shortlisted for this major award," Mr Siraj said. 

"We are delighted with that and we are going to be trying our best to win!"

To see if I agreed with the nomination I decided to try some of Caversham Tandoori's selection of curries, sundries, and sides. 

For someone who isn't the easiest person to accommodate, especially with regard to an Indian, Mr Siray was very attentive to all my allergies. 

We ordered for two persons a butter chicken, a chicken korma, poppadoms with dips, saag paneer, aloo gobhi, pilau rice, and garlic naan. 

Despite prior warning that the korma would taste different due to it having to be made nut-free, I was really impressed by the sweet coconut taste combined with the cooked-to-perfection tender chunks of chicken. 

The naan bread arrived warm and was the perfect level of fluffy and crunchy, with salt, garlic, and herbs infused into the dough. 

My dining companion described his butter chicken as being particularly delicious and he also thoroughly enjoyed the aloo gobhi. 

The star of the show, in my eyes, was the saag paneer which was cooked to perfection. It was aromatic and creamy with perfectly cooked cubes of cheese. 

The awards will be announced on November 17 and the whole team is attending a swanky ceremony. 

"All of my team has been invited so it will be great for all of us. We are all very excited," he continued. 

"We want to do the best that we can to achieve the prestigious award. It is important to the takeaway and to myself"

Mr Siraj has owned the Caversham Tandoori for the last three and half years and has seen the small food stop go from strength to strength. 

He also has an extensive background in the hospitality industry and has worked in various establishments for over 30 years. 

"I have worked in places like this for a very long time," he said. 

"I have a lot of experience, and I have passed that on to working at the Caversham Tandoori. I hope we will win this award as it would be really great for our takeaway."