A CHEF from a Grays restaurant has been named as one of the best chefs in the whole country.

Humayun Rashid, a chef at Kushi, which has restaurants in Grays as well as across Essex, has won Best Indian Chef in Essex in the Asian and Oriental Chef Awards.

The cook-off contest between eight finalists took place at the Pillars Restaurant in Ealing, West London, after being whittled down from hundreds of national public nominations.

Now the winners of the Asian culinary awards will be entertained at a special presentation dinner at the House of Lords on September 7 hosted by Lord Sheikh.