If you were following The Tramp's breakneck updates on the official TATTGOC Twitter last night, you'll already have heard the big news from the Scottish Curry Awards 2011: after a questionable starter, the main buffet turned out to be excellent! Also, Tam Cowan was crowned Curry Lover of the Year 2011, wrestling the beautiful ceremonial plate from the metaphorical grasp of TATTGOC.

If the Tramps were in any doubt as to whether the veteran journalist and broadcaster was truly worthy to follow in their sturdy footsteps, they got their answer during Tam's acceptance speech where, within seconds, he delivered a mischievous diss to the award's beer sponsor. Such impishness seems entirely in keeping with TATTGOC's ethos. So Tam, TATTGOC salutes you!

But that was only the first award of the night ... how did the rest go down? Those results in full:

Best Supermarket Curry: Asda (that's three years in a row!)

Team of the Year Award: Ashoka Johnstone, Johnstone (second year in a row!)

Chef of the Year Award: Ajmal Mushtaq of Mushtaq's Restaurant, Hamilton

Takeaway of the Year Award: Banana Leaf, Glasgow (second year in a row!) 

Lifetime Achievement Award 2011: The legendary Mrs Unis from Edinburgh

Curry King of the Year Award: Mother India mastermind Monir Mohammed

(Now it gets a bit complicated, as the Restaurant of the Year had winners in each of the four regional categories, plus one overall winner.)

North West winner: Spice Tandoori, 141 High Street, Fort William 
South West winner: Balbir’s, 7 Church Street, Glasgow
North East winner: Bombay Joe's, 44 Gray Street, Dundee
South East winner: Suruchi, 14a Nicolson Street, Edinburgh

And the overall winner of Restaurant of the Year was ... Balbir’s

Other highlights of the night included some decent gags from host Charan Gill, the Tramps finally getting to meet "Hector" and his partner Marg of the excellent Curry-Heute blog and the raising of a whole heap of money for the Scottish Spina Bifida Association. Not bad for a Monday ...

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC NEWS POSTS
Trampy And The Tramp's Curry *Loves* Of The Year
The Monday Side Dish: Scottish Curry Awards 2011 Nominees!
STOP PRESS! Scottish Curry Awards 2011 Nominations Close Today
The Monday Side Dish: April 11