Matribhumi Samachar English
A rare international honour for a Telugu Chef.
Hyderabad, 6th September 2026: UK-based Telugu celebrity chef Kanthi Kiran Thamma, Chef and Director of The Spice Circuit Ltd., Brighton, UK, has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious Chef of the Year category at the BIH Spotlight Awards 2026, marking yet another significant milestone in his acclaimed culinary journey.
Chef Kanthi’s selection comes following an overwhelming number of nominations in his favour in a nationwide recognition programme designed to identify outstanding talent across the UK hospitality industry. The finalists were selected from more than 3,000 nominations, making Chef Kanthi’s achievement a notable recognition of his contribution to the UK’s vibrant and diverse culinary landscape.
The BIH Spotlight Awards are widely regarded as an important platform celebrating exceptional businesses and individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds within the UK hospitality sector. The awards recognise talent, entrepreneurship and excellence while creating opportunities to build inclusive and diverse networks across the industry.
Chef Kanthi’s The Spice Circuit Ltd. was honoured with the coveted Best South Asian Restaurant at the BIH Spotlight Awards – 2025, recognising the restaurant’s distinctive contribution to South Asian cuisine and hospitality in the UK.
Now in its fifth year, the BIH Spotlight Awards have brought together more than 1,000 attendees from across the UK and Ireland, recognised 60 deserving winners, and created a platform for advocates of inclusion and diversity to connect with emerging and established talent. The awards celebrate some of the brightest stars in hospitality today while also shining a light on the next generation of industry leaders.
The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony on 12 October 2026 at Quaglino’s, London, in the presence of leading chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality professionals and food connoisseurs from across the UK and Ireland.
About Chef Kanthi Thamma
Chef Kanthi Thamma, born in Guntur and raised in Hyderabad, is an acclaimed chef and entrepreneur based in Brighton, UK. Over 12 years, his culinary ventures have earned numerous awards and international recognition. As a guest chef, he has represented South Indian, particularly Telugu, cuisine across Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Italy and the USA.
He collaborated with a local distillery to create The Spice Circuit Gin, the UK’s first spiced gin, which earned a prestigious Great Taste Award star. His ventures have also received a Michelin Bib and recognition among the UK’s Top 100 restaurants.
Chef Thamma is the only Indian chef offering chef-led food and culture tours to South India and Sri Lanka, featured by The New York Times among the world’s seven best chef-led tours.
His current venture, The Spice Circuit Kitchen, won Best South Asian Cuisine at the Hospitality Spotlight Awards. He is also a celebrated community “Food Hero,” supporting charitable causes in Brighton.
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