Freya’s Grill in Darwen hoping to be named best curry house

Freya’s Grill, in Duckworth Street, opened in 2022 and is starting to establish itself among other South Asian restaurants that have been open for decades.

Manager Naz Islam said he is “overwhelmed” to have been nominated in the competition.

He said: “We are overwhelmed to be nominated as we have only been open for a short amount of time.

"We are popular in the area and it’s been a popular spot to dine in, in Darwen.

Freya's Grill manager Naz Islam, with customers (Image: Naz Islam)“We started working on our recipes during lockdown, cooking different types of donner kebabs and putting our own ‘twist’ on the food.

"This is when we got inspired to open a site in Darwen serving food ‘with a twist’.

“For a small business like us, in a town with so many established restaurants, just to be nominated is amazing but to win would show we have done something amazing in such a short period of time.”

Naz said the restaurant’s food and top customer service make it stand out from the crowd.

The menu is expansive with a variety of items available, including classic curries and donner meals, plus other options such as chicken parmesan, burgers and beyond.

The restaurant also caters for customers with dietary requirements and food intolerances to ensure everyone can enjoy its food.

Freya's Grill in Darwen (Image: Naz Islam)

He said: “Our customer service and good food make us stand out from other restaurants.

“We have a lot of unique items on the menu, as well as curries, we have stir fry, donners and peri chicken.

"Our menu is very different to other restaurants in the area and it goes down well with everyone.

“During school holidays kids eat for free and we run special deals that won’t hurt your pocket when you dine. We understand these are hard times for everyone.”

The restaurant consistently receives five-star reviews, with an average 4.8 rating, out of five, on Google. It also has an average 5/5 rating on Tripadvisor.

Naz wants to thank customers for supporting the business.

Food at Freya's Grill in Darwen (Image: Naz Islam) He said: “We want to thank everyone who has supported us from day one and who has spent their time nominating us for this competition.

“Customers are like a family to us and they want us to thrive. Without their support, I don’t think we would have survived Covid and the cost-of-living crisis.

“Keep supporting us and believing in us. We have some great deals over the festive period.”

The Best Curry Houses competition asked readers to nominate their favourite establishments for the much-loved cuisine, and you didn’t disappoint, with nominations flying in.

We have collated the votes and whittled them down to a top 10 that received the most nominations and have made the final shortlist.

Over the coming days, readers will be able to vote for their favourite restaurants by picking up a paper copy of the Lancashire Telegraph, with the winner announced next month.

Readers can vote for the ‘Best Curry House 2024’ by picking up copies of the Lancashire Telegraph between Monday, October 28, and Saturday, November 9.