North London chef wins prestigious award
Melissa restaurant in Harrow has scooped Chef of the Year at the TURTA ceremony
Louisa Walters is Features Editor at the Jewish News and specialises in food and travel writing
Just two months after opening, Melissa restaurant in Harrow has scooped an award. Owner Cetin Kaygusuz won Chef of the Year at the Turkish Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (TURTA) on 21 February. The restaurant is sister to Melissa Canons Park, which Kaygusuz opened in 2014. A long-time favourite of north London diners for its fresh, tasty grilled food at reasonable prices, Melissa is named after Kaygusuz’s daughter.
The TURTA awards recognise, promote and celebrate the Turkish restaurant and takeaway industry in the UK, as determined by its customers. Kaygusuz was handed his award at a ceremony at the Palace of Westminster that was attended by hundreds of nominees and guests. The event was hosted by Hannah Tomes from The Spectator and awards were presented by MPs Ben Everitt, Bambos Charalambous, Deidre Brock and Henry Smith.
“We are extremely honoured to have received this award and have all our hard work recognised,” says Cetin. “It was a fantastic evening and we really enjoyed being able to look around the magnificent building with MP Gareth Thomas. We would like to thank all our customers for their loyalty and continued support over the years. We bring this award home for you!”
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