Balti trademark plan fails to curry favour

By [lchurchill]

INDIAN restaurants across North Devon could be barred from selling balti dishes if Birmingham City Council gets its way.

The council wants to trademark its invention, which would mean balti lovers based outside of the area of Birmingham known as the Balti Triangle could see it wiped off menus.

If the move did go ahead it would give the balti, which was invented in the 1970s, similar protection to champagne and Wensleydale cheese.

Balti is one of Bideford's Sagor Tandoori Restaurant in Chingswell Street's most popular dishes.

Ali from the restaurant didn't think that Birmingham's Balti Triangle would be able to use the name exclusively.

He said: "It is just not going to work like that. Okay, Balti is very popular in Birmingham, but balti is very popular across the whole country.

"I don't think that balti was even invented in Birmingham."

He believes that even if Birmingham tried to protect the name that the Sagor Tandoori would continue to serve lamb, chicken, prawn and vegetable balti, like it has done for the past 15 years.

He added: "The idea just wouldn't be enforceable. When people are in a balti mood then that is what they want."

Mike Southon from Ilfracombe is a particular balti fan as the dish contains no cream, unlike many other curry meals.

He said: "Balti wouldn't become unavailable in North Devon — they would just have to change the name of it.

"But it has been called a balti for too long now, everybody would continue to call it that anyway — they have left it too late; it is jumping on the band wagon."

Both chicken and lamb balti is available from the Ilfracombe Tandoori Restaurant in Ilfracombe High Street.

Zaman Miaa from the restaurant believes that North Devon chefs are and should be entitled to cook baltis.

He said: "Balti is now just a dish name. All chefs have a different process to make balti, just like every chef has a different way of making tikka masala."