Peter Grove
Founder of National Curry Week
Born: April 30, 1942;
Died: June 15, 2016
PETER Grove, who has died of a heart attack aged 74, was a writer and entrepreneur who founded National Curry Week and the Curry Capital of Britain competition which promotes multi-culturalism and raises money for good causes. In the 15 years the competition has been running, only five cities have been named Curry Capital – Bradford, Glasgow, Leicester, Birmingham and West London.
Born in Hornchurch, Essex in 1942 he was educated at Ilford County High School, Exeter University, then London School of Economics. In his youth he represented Essex, Southern Counties and England in swimming and Essex in water polo. He was also a keen club tennis player.
He started his working life as a statistician with the Union Castle Shipping Company before moving into the travel sector. He then worked with BOAC/British Airways and several other airlines before running his own travel company, creating The World Sports Supporters Club.
In the 1960s he moved into sports journalism working for ITV’s World of Sport, Daily Express and Daily Mail and was an early member of the Sports Writers Association (now Sports Journalists Association). He edited Florida World News and All Sports International newspaper for 10 years and continued to edit the online version until his death.
In the 1970s he began making TV travel documentaries on Zambia, Malawi, Australia, Kenya, Florida and the Caribbean. He served under Sir Rocco Forte and Lord Westmoreland on the fundraising committee for the 1978 Commonwealth Games, organising a round Britain Radio Luxembourg roadshow to raise money for the England teams.
A published author, his works included Ergonomics of Sport & Leisure Facilities, World of Sport Almanac and Sports Form Guide. He also wrote a science-fiction novel, The Levellers, published by Robert Hale (1981) and a series of children's books entitled The Bornington Chronicles. His latest novel, A Plague of Paradise, was published in 2013.
He edited Guide to UK Hotels, the National Restaurant Directory, and The Real Curry Restaurant Guide from 1990. Other restaurant guides included The Oriental Restaurant Directory, The Italian Restaurant Directory and The Mood Food; the Florida Restaurant Directory; Florida World News; Spice n Easy, Masala; and Menu Magazine (now Mood Food Magazine). He was a regular freelance contributor to the national press and appeared regularly on radio and TV as an expert in ethnic food and drink.
He started the Best in Britain Awards (BIBA) for the Asian restaurant sector in 1992, National Curry Week (originally National Curry Day) in 1997 and Curry Capital of Britain in 1999. He worked with The Chartered Institute for Environmental Health for three years, running their National Curry Chef competition.
He co-wrote Curry Culture - a very British love affair with his wife Colleen and The Flavours of History published by Godiva in 2011. He ran several major websites on ethnic food and drink and sport. He was President of The Federation of Specialist Restaurants and the founder of The Curry Tree Charitable Fund. Now in its 19th year, National Curry Week allows curry restaurants, caterers, pubs, and home cooks to celebrate the cuisine and culture with special dinners designed to generate funds for good causes at home and abroad.
His widow Collen, to whom he was married for 30 years, said: “I can think of no better lasting tribute than to continue the work he started with National Curry Week and The Curry Capital of Britain. Their role in highlighting the contribution made to the wider community by the Asian restaurant industry was a message that was very dear to him.
He is survived by four daughters, Samantha and Corrie from his first marriage and Stephanie and Madeline from his marriage to Colleen.
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