THE manager of a Sydenham Indian is ‘flying in the sky’ with happiness after winning Britain’s best takeaway.

It was revealed yesterday Millennium Tandoori has topped a league table of more than 11,000 UK establishments in a survey conducted by website hungryhouse.

Bromley and Lewisham both dazzled in the competition with Gurkha’s Flavour in Stanstead Road, Forest Hill, coming third in the London category and a Japanese, Edo, in Westow Hill, Crystal Palace, coming fourth.

Manager Kamal Ahmed, who has run Millennium Tandoori in Sydenham Road for 10 years, said:  “When I found out, I was flying in the sky. I am still in the sky, I am so happy.

“Yesterday evening was completely mad. We had sold out by 9pm because we were so busy, I had never known anything like it.

"I felt bad about letting the customers down.

“Some people came from Harlow, some from as far as Finchley. A couple came from the West End and said, ‘We must try the food we’ve read about it’.

“I’m not sure how we’re going to celebrate yet – I will have to talk to colleagues about what we plan to do.”

Mr Ahmed puts his success down to grit and determination.

He said: “I am a hard working man and we end up working 24/7.

“The customers like our service, our price and the quality of the food.

“Around 90 per cent of our customers are regulars and I always say, ‘tell me how you like your Chicken Korma – if you like it sweet, let me know the first time you order and then I can always do it like that.’

“I know many of my customers well now and I know exactly how they like their dishes done.

“I should get back to work now – I have to start cooking soon.”

For more information, visit millenniumtandoori-sydenham.co.uk or hungryhouse.co.uk/blog/top-takeaways