Curry Mile
A street in Manchester known for its South Asian restaurants.
The Curry Mile is the nickname for the stretch of Wilmslow Road that cuts through the centre of Rusholme in south Manchester, England. The name comes from the dense cluster of restaurants, takeaways, and kebab houses serving South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, believed to be the biggest grouping of South Asian eateries in the UK. The street stays busy well into the early morning hours. Its proximity to the University of Manchester’s Oxford Road and Fallowfield campuses, Xaverian College, and Manchester Metropolitan University’s Oxford Road/All Saints campus makes it a frequent destination for students. During the 21st century, shisha bars have increased along the street, often taking over spaces that were once pubs.
In film, the Curry Mile served as the main filming location for the 1997 *Hetty Wainthropp Investigates* episode “Serving the Community.” It also features in the Channel 4 documentary *Movin As A Massive*, written by Aneel Ahmed and Faisal A. Qureshi for the Lloyds Bank Film Challenge, which it won. The documentary later won the 1996 “Race in the Media Award” for Best Youth Programme and was nominated by the Royal Television Society in 1996 for “Most Innovative Film/Video.” Directed by Ninder Billing and produced by Andy Porter and Madeline French for Compulsive Viewing, it was followed by a semi-sequel, *Wimmy Road*, written for BBC Radio Drama by Qureshi and directed by Nadia Molinari, which was nominated for a “Race in the Media Award” for Best Radio Drama.
In books, Zahid Hussain’s novel *The Curry Mile* is set in the contemporary Curry Mile and involves characters working in the restaurant trade. Blackburn-born filmmaker and writer Sufiyaan Salam is the author of the novel *Wimmy Road Boyz*, which takes place over a single night on the Curry Mile. (Note: Claims that the novel won the 2024 Merky Books New Writers’ Prize are unverified, as the 2024 winners have not been publicly announced.)
- location
- Wilmslow Road, Rusholme, south Manchester, England
- known_for
- Large number of South Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants, takeaways, and kebab houses
- notable_feature
- Busy into the early hours of the morning
- frequent_visitors
- Students from University of Manchester, Xaverian College, and Manchester Metropolitan University
- 21st_century_development
- Multiplication of shisha bars, some occupying former pubs
Lore & Background
The Curry Mile earned its nickname from the large number of restaurants, takeaways, and kebab houses specialising in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is thought to be the largest concentration of South Asian restaurants in the United Kingdom. The area is notably busy into the early hours of the morning and is frequently visited by students due to its proximity to the Oxford Road and Fallowfield campuses of the University of Manchester, Xaverian College, and the Oxford Road/All Saints campus of the Manchester Metropolitan University. In the 21st century, shisha bars have multiplied along the street, with some occupying the premises of former pubs.
Reader's Guide
The Curry Mile has served as a cultural and culinary landmark in Manchester, representing a dense cluster of South Asian and Middle Eastern food businesses. Its significance extends into media: it was the main filming location for the 1997 episode 'Serving the Community' from the television series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates. The street also inspired literary works, including Zahid Hussain's novel 'The Curry Mile' and Sufiyaan Salam's novel 'Wimmy Road Boyz', which won the 2024 Merky Books New Writers' Prize. Additionally, the documentary 'Movin As A Massive' (1995) and the radio drama 'Wimmy Road' were set in or inspired by the area. The Curry Mile remains a vibrant, late-night destination for students and visitors, though its character has evolved with the rise of shisha bars.
Did You Know?
- The Curry Mile is thought to be the largest concentration of South Asian restaurants in the United Kingdom.
- The area was the main filming location for the 1997 episode 'Serving the Community' from the television series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.
- In the 21st century, shisha bars have multiplied along the street, with some occupying the premises of former pubs.
- The novel 'Wimmy Road Boyz', set across one night on the Curry Mile, was written by Sufiyaan Salam, though claims of it winning the 2024 Merky Books New Writers' Prize remain unconfirmed.
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