We're highlighting the shortlisted curry houses in our competition in the News & Star. Each of the establishments will be featured over ten issues.

Khan's at the Waterloo has been nominated by News & Star readers as one of the ten finalists in its 'Best Curry House 2024' award.

The restaurant, is located in Aglionby near Carlisle and is owned by Thomina Khan alongside her husband, with the pair taking over the family business in 2018.

After being informed that Khan's at the Waterloo had been chosen by News & Star readers to feature in the final ten of the 'Best Curry House 2024' award, Thomina was on hand to express her delight.

She said: "We are very grateful to be nominated for this award.

"We feel very fortunate to be in this position. We have been rated number one on Tripadvisor for four or five years.

"After we took over we did not expect to have the success that we have had but I feel very honoured."

For Thomina, Khan's has become a local favourite due to its commitment to authentic flavours and home cooking as well as the relationship her family business has built with its customers. 

She said: "I think our customers love the personal experience that they get at Khan's.

"The majority of my family work within the business and we always want to make sure they get the personal touch and we always want to serve people the food they enjoy.

"If our customers tell us that they like milder curries then we will give them something that they will like and we enjoy helping to educate people on flavours and dishes that are not so mainstream or bog standard.

"Kormas and Masala are the national favourites but at the same time we focus on dishes that are more authentic and that are the dishes that we eat at home."

Thomina was also keen to highlight how much she would miss those relationships between her family and her customers if Khan's were to close one day and explained how quality food has bound her family, her business, and her customers.

She said: "If we gave up this business tomorrow I would really miss the buzz, I would miss my customers, I would miss the relationship we have formed with so many customers over the years.

"We have seen children grow up into adults and we have seen them through so much in their lives and food is the things that has bound us together."