ONE of the region’s businesses is celebrating after being named Best Indian Restaurant in the North-East.

Zak Ahmed, manager of Spice Island, in Barnard Castle, joined staff and customers at a special ceremony in London recently after being nominated at the Bangladesh Caterers Association UK’s annual awards.

Mr Ahmed, 32, said he was shocked to win as the restaurant had already won once before in 2011.

“It’s fantastic news,” he said. “We did not really have big expectations of winning we just went to enjoy the night so it was a big shock and we were in shock for quite a while but we are all really happy and ecstatic and the guys at the restaurant were over the moon too.”