FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 29 JUNE 2003

ASIAN PORTAL REDHOTCURRY.COM SCOOPS WINDRUSH INTERNET AWARD

Redhotcurry.com, a lifestyle portal for UK Asians developed by Mrs Lopa Patel, was voted the Outstanding Champion for the Internet & Technology category at this year's Windrush Achievement Awards 2003. The business has built from scratch an online portal that supports the South Asian community at a local level in the UK. Launched in November 2001, the site has achieved a three-fold increase in the number of visitor statistics in just twelve months. It has achieved great popularity among the UK Asian community and with non-Asians alike, visitor statistics increasing from 79,000 page impressions (370,000 hits) in Q1 2002 to over 234,000 page impressions (1.8 million hits) in Q1 2003. In fact, the popularity of the site has increased so much that Redhotcurry.com has just signed a contract with digital media buying agency Ad2-one, bringing it into the same stable as other large sites like www.disney.co.uk and www.iii.co.uk.

Redhotcurry.com is a female owned Asian publication, battling for equality within the community and fair representation outside of it. The site celebrates diversity in many forms, from South Asian Arts and culture to cooking, style, health and beauty. News and viewpoint stories are regularly featured - often made more palatable with softer, light-hearted features to provide a well-balanced, thoroughly researched, rounded outlook. The site also offers interactive discussion groups, on-line chat, web based email, enewsletters and a comprehensive searchable UK South Asian restaurant directory.

Mrs Lopa Patel, Editor of Redhotcurry.com said of the win, "I am absolutely thrilled to have won the Windrush Award. It is recognises the important role that the UK's 2.3 million South Asians play in the wealth, stability and culture of modern Britain and, more importantly how technology can be used to unite this ethnic community".

The winners were announced at the 5th Annual WINDRUSH 2003 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS, a black tie event at the Intercontinental on Saturday 21 June. The unique Awards recognise the vast wealth of talent among African Caribbean, Asian & Oriental communities (while paying enough respect to White partners assisting their progress).

Other Asian Windrush winners included Pirthipal Singh Kang who won a Trophy for the Uniformed Services and a Certificate for professional Achievement, Ms Divya Mathur, Programme Officer at The Nehru Centre in London who won the Arts Achiever of the Year and Professor Alimuddin Zumla who won the Professional Achievement Category. Outstanding Merit Profile was won by Krishnan Guru Murthy of ITN.

The Windrush Awards were launched in 1999, inspired by the BBC's special celebration of the arrival of the ship Empire Windrush and the first West Indian immigrants to Britain. These annual awards celebrate the legacy of those first pioneers.

Ends

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

ABOUT REDHOTCURRY.COM

Redhotcurry.com is a celebration of Asian life in the UK with an informative collection of in-depth articles on race, culture, entertainment, religion, food, curry, ethnic fashion and beauty, all written with a South Asian perspective. The site covers news, views, money, business, entertainment, food and drink, health, style, sports and travel with interactive discussion groups, on-line chat, web based email and a comprehensive searchable UK South Asian restaurant directory.

http://www.redhotcurry.com - all the curry & more

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For further details contact:
Katy Howell
Immediate Future Ltd
0845 408 2031
katy.howell@immediatefuture.co.uk

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