BHANU Vegad, proprietor of Vegetarian Deelite, had reason for celebration when judges presented her with the Special Achievement Award, sponsored by Bolton Metro's Ethnic Minorities Business Services Unit.

Formed just nine months ago, in June 1997, Mrs Vegad, who is the sole trader of Vegetarian Deelite, works from a unit on Bolton Enterprise Centre and specialises in authentic Indian-style vegetarian dishes.

Mrs Vegad is an excellent cook of Asian vegetarian dishes and, as part of her market research, she has helped prepare food for many people and her dishes are very much in demand.

After the announcement, Mrs Vegad's husband, Mukesh, said: ''We are very pleased. To get to the last stage of the awards was an achievment in itself. We will use the money to expand our product range.''

Mrs Vegad pointed out that, although penetration into the market proved more difficult than anticipated - the main barrier being convincing corporate customers and organisations to try products - during the past six months, Vegetarian Deelite has provided catering for various local organisations including Bolton Bury Training and Enterprise Council, Bolton Central Library and the local authority.

Mrs Vegad currently caters for small, intimate dinner parties but is looking to eventually expand to weddings and larger gatherings.

All food is vegetarian and snacks include bhagies, samosas and chats, as well as several main course meals.

Mrs Vegad said: ''The market for Asian food is growing rapidly as is the demand for ready cooked meals, occasion foods and take-aways.

"A survey of a small sample of Asian restaurants and take-aways indicated they had seen a rise in demand for vegetarian food by 25 per cent in the past two years. Mostly these outlets find it difficult to cope as vegetarian food takes slightly longer to prepare." She added: "We are very happy to have won this important award."

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