A Stoke Newington kebab shop has been revealed as one of the best kebab shops in Britain at an awards ceremony on Monday night.
Testi, the only Hackney shortlist entry, won the prize for best kebab restaurant in North and West London at the seventh British Kebab Awards, beating nine other shortlisted restaurants.
More than 1,200 guests attended the ceremony hosted by BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, including more than 110 MPs and members of the House of Lords.
Testi came runner up for the award in 2018, losing to Ali’s Berlin Doner in Ealing.
Huseyin Uzum, the restaurant’s owner, said he was “devastated” to lose last year but now feels “very proud” to be the only restaurant in Hackney to be presented with the award.
He said: “It feels amazing to win the award for the best restaurant, wiping out many others.”
The family-run business has been growing since opening in 2000 and now employs around 15 staff. They have recently launched a new menu and have planned a massive refurbishment for the summer.
Mr Uzum said Testi prides itself on offering a variety of dishes for a variety of customers.
“Our slogan is actually ‘Where the meat lovers and the vegetarians unite’,” he said.
“We serve a lot of vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes. We’re known for serving the best lamb chops and ribs as well as a lot of vegetarian moussaka.”
A distinguished panel comprised of industry experts and MPs such as Cobra Beer Sales Director Samson Sohail and Chief Political Correspondent of the Financial Times, Jim Pickard, selected the winners from a shortlist of 155 entries.
Speaking to the Hackney Post at the Kebab Awards, Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville said he was “absolutely thrilled” Testi took home one of the 16 top prizes.
He said: “They [Testi] were the only representative here tonight… Hackney is definitely the home to the Turkish, Kurdish kebab industry, they’ve been an incredible part of our high street and the regeneration story of Hackney. They are much-loved. I think they constantly innovate and renew and that’s what you’re seeing in Huseyin’s win tonight.”
The annual event is the only one to recognise the contribution made by the kebab industry to the British economy – with an estimated 1.3 million kebabs sold every day in the UK, the industry contributes over £2.8 billion a year.
Labour’s Angela Rayner, Mark Francois and even Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attended the event. In a short speech, Mr Corbyn professed his love for kebab shops, despite being a vegetarian.
He said: “It’s strange really. As one who chooses not to eat meat and chooses not to drink, I love kebab shops. I love what they do. And I love having a falafal wrap in a kebab shop.”
The British Kebab Awards were established in 2013 by Lambeth restaurateur Ibrahim Dogus to shed light on the cultural and economic contributions of the industry.
Addressing the crowd, Mr Dogus announced the results of a January 2019 Survation poll that suggested kebab eaters are more likely to be a Remainer and vote Labour.
The poll also reported lamb as the most popular kebab filling, securing one third of the votes. Chicken was voted the second favourite filling with 28 per cent of the votes, while beef and vegetarian options proved the least popular, achieving just nine and four per cent respectively.
Mr Dogus described a kebab shop as “the light that never goes out”.
He said: “The kebab is [the] perfect end to a long evening. Or a daytime treat when you’re hard at work. The perfect combination of spice, colour, texture and flavour, at a price every Briton can afford. A welcoming light on an otherwise darkened high street. The kebab shop is the light that never goes out.”
