The UK city crowned the 'curry capital' and its not London

Curry has become one of the UK's favourite dishes with chicken tikka masala being a fan favourite among Brits. Curry houses have a strong claim on the restaurant market with an estimated 12,000 Indian restaurants in the UK.

Employing 100,000 people and generating revenues of £4.2 billion curry has a chokehold on the country. In 1810 The Hindoostanee Coffee House opened in London marking the capital's first ever Indian restaurant. Now the capital is home to over 3,600 Indian restaurants - more than the combined total in Delhi and Mumbai.

Although there are thousands of curry houses in London it failed to clinch the title of the UK's curry capital, surprising many. In fact, London didn't even make the top five.

In a new study CryptoCasinos examined restaurant density per 100,000 residents, takeaway availability on delivery platforms, average monthly searches for curry-related terms, the popularity of curry-themed events, and average customer ratings.

These factors were combined into a weighted Curry Capital Score out of 100, with restaurant density carrying the most weight at 50%.

Manchester took the top spot with a Curry Capital Score of 79.82 out of 100. Boasting 49.30 Indian restaurants per 100,000 residents, the highest density in the UK. The city also excels in delivery options, with 138.81 curry takeaways available per 100,000 residents on platforms like Uber Eats.

Manchester is famously home to The Curry Mile which is renowned for its large concentration of Asian restaurants, including Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi.

The street once considered to have the highest concentration of South Asian restaurants in the UK.

Coming in second place is Newcastle upon Tyne with a curry score of 73.69. The city has a restaurant density of 47.30 per 100,000 residents and leads the nation in delivery availability with 162.18 curry takeaways per 100,000 residents.

Newcastle records 730 average monthly searches, and its restaurants maintain a solid 4.13 average rating.

Coming in third place is Leicester with 63.45 points, driven by 43.43 Indian restaurants per 100,000 residents and 102.18 delivery options per 100,000. The city stands out with a perfect 5 rating for curry-related events, the highest alongside London and Bradford.

London came in a respectable ninth place generating by far the most curry-related searches at 17,200 monthly and scores top marks for events with 5.

However, the capital has just 17.21 restaurants per 100,000 residents and only 8.21 delivery options per 100,000.

A spokesperson for CryptoCasinos says: "The data reveals a clear pattern. Northern cities dominate Britain's curry scene, with four of the top five cities located in the North of England. Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, and Bradford combine high restaurant density with strong delivery infrastructure and genuine local enthusiasm for Indian cuisine."