BIH Spotlight Awards 2026<\/strong>, marking yet another significant milestone in his acclaimed culinary journey.<\/p>\n\n
Chef Kanthi\u2019s 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\u00a0more than 3,000 nominations, making Chef Kanthi\u2019s achievement a notable recognition of his contribution to the UK\u2019s vibrant and diverse culinary landscape.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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Chef Kanthi\u2019s The Spice Circuit Ltd.\u00a0was honoured with the coveted\u00a0Best South Asian Restaurant at the BIH Spotlight Awards –\u00a02025, recognising the restaurant\u2019s distinctive contribution to South Asian cuisine and hospitality in the UK.<\/p>\n
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Now in its\u00a0fifth year, the BIH Spotlight Awards have brought together more than\u00a01,000 attendees from across the UK and Ireland, recognised\u00a060 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.<\/p>\n
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The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony on\u00a012 October 2026 at Quaglino\u2019s, London, in the presence of leading chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality professionals and food connoisseurs from across the UK and Ireland.<\/p>\n
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About Chef Kanthi Thamma<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nChef 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.<\/p>\n
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He collaborated with a local distillery to create\u00a0The Spice Circuit Gin, the UK\u2019s first spiced gin, which earned a prestigious Great Taste Award star. His ventures have also received a Michelin Bib and recognition among the UK\u2019s Top 100 restaurants.<\/p>\n
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Chef Thamma is the only Indian chef offering chef-led food and culture tours to South India and Sri Lanka, featured by\u00a0The New York Times<\/em>\u00a0among the world\u2019s seven best chef-led tours.<\/p>\n\n
His current venture,\u00a0The Spice Circuit Kitchen, won Best South Asian Cuisine at the Hospitality Spotlight Awards. He is also a celebrated community \u201cFood Hero,\u201d supporting charitable causes in Brighton.<\/p>\n
Featured Article<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A rare international honour for a Telugu Chef. \u00a0 Hyderabad, 6th September 2026:\u00a0UK-based Telugu celebrity chef\u00a0Kanthi Kiran Thamma, Chef and Director of\u00a0The Spice Circuit Ltd., Brighton,\u00a0UK, has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious\u00a0Chef of the Year\u00a0category at the\u00a0BIH Spotlight Awards 2026, marking yet another significant milestone in his acclaimed culinary journey. Chef …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[151],"tags":[36980],"class_list":["post-83990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","","category-miscellaneous","tag-chef-kanthi-kiran-thamma"],"yoast_head":"\n
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