Just seven months after its opening, Newton Mearns’ The Malletsheugh has been named as New Restaurant Of The Year at the Scottish Curry Awards.
The Birk family-owned and operated restaurant already features heavily on social media platforms and is famed for its ‘exceptional’ Indian food – although it also offers a full Scottish menu to showcase the dual sides of the family’s heritage.
The Malletsheugh opened last August following substantial investment in a ‘dramatic, stylish’ redesign and renovation of the original structure.
Mum and boss Tina Birk said: “We are thrilled by this latest honour and the most touching part of it is the organisers said we had a huge number of nominations from the public.
“Thank you so much – I honestly cannot tell you how much it means to us to win such an honour in our first year.
“In such a short time, we have built an incredible number of loyal supporters who really understand what we are doing – we wanted to be a community hub and welcome diners into our family,” said Tina.
“People have really embraced that and I think it’s what keeps them coming back… as well as the food of course.”
The restaurant is run by Tina and her sons, Pavan, Aman, Bobby and Rohan, carrying on the tradition of their grandfather’s Indian cooking in Glasgow, and later their father.
The menu’s biggest hits among online reviewers so far have been the lamb chops, butter chicken, okra fries, and their famous garlic naan. Another highlight is Baba Shora, their grandfather’s favourite dish.
GM Bobby said: “We work so hard to deliver exceptional service and food, we all pour our heart and soul into what we do – it’s not a job, we live for this.
“The Malletsheugh is a dream we have had for as long as I can remember. Thank you to the people of Glasgow and Ayrshire for making it come true, and then some. This really means the world to our family.”
Pav added: “Our family have incredible passion for hospitality, food and people. We love sharing our lives with our guests, who become our friends.
“Our grandfather was an amazingly talented chef but just as importantly had this incredible desire to look after people – and our parents, then my brothers and I, have all grown up with that ethos at the heart of everything.
“Big wins mean the world, things like the award, plus the bloggers and reviewers who come in all the time to try what we do.
“But most importantly the public and the local people who come in again and again – that’s what really makes us smile.”
