Mani’s Brings Regional Indian Cooking To The Belfry
The Belfry Hotel & Resort will open Mani’s on 17 July, following sous chef Manikantan Sivakumar’s gold-winning performance at the UK Curry Championships 2026.
The Belfry Hotel & Resort has announced the opening of Mani’s, a new Indian-inspired summer pop-up restaurant launching on 17 July.
The restaurant follows sous chef Manikantan “Mani” Sivakumar’s gold-winning performance at the UK Curry Championships 2026 and will run from Wednesday to Sunday throughout the summer.
Mani’s at The Belfry Hotel & Resort will bring regional Indian flavours and elevated home-style cooking to guests at the resort. The menu includes The Belfry’s Chicken Balti, featuring velvet-smooth butter chicken and an in-house spice blend, alongside Chana Masala with slow-cooked chickpeas in aromatic spices.
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Regional Indian Flavours At The Belfry
The offer also includes Mani’s Thali, described as an ode to Indian home cooking, with a curated selection of vegetable curries, dal, spiced rice, artisan breads, fresh raita and traditional condiments. A selection of savoury starters and lighter traditional desserts completes the menu.
Competition Success Before The Opening
Ahead of the opening, Sivakumar secured Gold at the UK Curry Championships 2026. The competition took place in May at Central Bedfordshire College, where 17 chefs from across Europe competed live. Participants were asked to produce two identical portions of a starter and a lamb-based main course within one hour.
Sivakumar entered two categories, Street Food and the Main Championship. For the Championship, he presented a menu intended to celebrate both tradition and innovation, with starter and main courses designed to show the breadth and regional diversity of Indian cuisine while bringing together home-style favourites and contemporary fine dining.
He also won Silver in the Street Food category with a zesty goat’s curd pav bhaji.
“I felt like I was dreaming when they announced my name. So many experienced chefs had been competing for years and then there was me — my first time — bringing Gold home to The Belfry. It means everything.”
Manikantan “Mani” Sivakumar Sous Chef, The Belfry Hotel & Resort
