A FAMILY-run East Lancashire restaurant is to be featured on one of the world’s biggest TV channels after making it to the final of a national contest.

A crew from Indian-based satellite Zee TV jetted into the Ribble Valley to film at the Shajan, which has seen off competition from around 12,000 other restaurants to make it to the final of this year’s Bangladesh Caterers' Association (BCA) Awards.

The popular Indian restaurant is hoping to beat a Scottish establishment to claim the coveted Caterer of the Year award.

The footage, filmed at the Clayton-le-Dale restaurant last week, will be broadcast to up to 500 million people across the globe.

Shameem Ali, who runs the restaurant with her husband Shaju and their two children, described the experience as ‘exciting’.

She said: “They came to our house and did interviews with us and asked how we started and what makes us so successful. They went into the kitchen to speak to the chefs and also spoke to customers and listened to what they said about the food.

“I told them that whenever I go back to Bangladesh I watch my family cooking and pick up tips and bring them back.

“We’re always trying to improve and make things even more authentic.”

Mrs Ali said the BCA Awards judges would be scoring the restaurant on its food, service, reputation and atmosphere.

She said: “We are hopeful, but you never know, so we will have to wait and see what happens on the day.”

The BCA Awards winners will be announced at Westminster Bridge Hotel, London, on Sunday October 10.