RAYMOND Blanc says his brinjal bora are one of the reasons he is in love with Oxford.

Now, Loylu Miah has won global recognition for his exquisite curry at the 2017 International Indian Chef of Year awards.

Mr Miah, manager of Cowley Road's beloved Majliss restaurant, was crowned Oxfordshire winner by no less than Princess Anne herself at a glittering ceremony in London this month.

The awards are voted for by curry-loving customers, so the title is also a show of the local love for his beautifully-crafted cuisine.

Awards organiser Nijam M Rahman explained: "This year we had 20,000 restaurants worldwide, and about 10,000 of those were in the UK.

"Out of those, 66 restaurants reached the final, and out of those just 23 won in their regions.

"Majliss was voted the very best Indian restaurant in Oxfordshire on the basis of customer service, quality of food, ambience and value for money.

"In all four of those categories Mr Miah got a top result, and that was the reason we chose him as the winner for Oxfordshire."

For Mr Miah and his three brothers, the award is the culmination of four decades of serving up Indian food around Oxford.

Their father, who arrived in the UK from Bangladesh in 1972, opened the Moon Light restaurant in Cowley Road the following year.

The business grew and moved to Kidlington High Street, where it became Tiffins Tandoori in 1992.

That restaurant became so popular that in 2002, following a makeover, billionaire and then-Kidlington resident Richard Branson officially reopened it.

Loylu Miah started managing his own restaurant, Majliss, and it has consistently won high praise, including from the Oxford Mail.

In June Raymond Blanc singled the restaurant out as one of his favourites in the city in a piece for The Daily Telegraph, and just last month, Oxford Mail restaurant reviewer Katherine MacAlister said the restaurant's 'rich sauces, strength of flavour and top-notch ingredients' made for a 'veritable feast'.

Mr Miah now manages Majliss with the help of his other brothers and boasts of their 'exotic' offerings not available in any other restaurant.

Speaking about his award, Mr Miah said: "I am very, very proud – it has taken me 30 years to achieve this award so I am delighted."