Mazal skewers competition to win best kosher kebab award

Camden hotspot Mazal has claimed victory in the prestigious kosher kebab award stakes, capping a meteoric rise after just two years in business.

The thirteenth annual British Kebab Awards, hosted by entrepreneur Ibrahim Dogus, awarded the restaurant the top gong in its category during a lavish ceremony yesterday evening in front of more than 1,000 guests at a ceremony at Westminster’s Plaza Hotel.

Set up in 2023 by Neta Nel Segev and chef Aviv Baum, Mazal serves kosher chicken and lamb shawarma, falafel, schnitzel and malabi and even hosted a JC blind date earlier this month.

Indeed, its first year, our Food Editor Victoria Prever named it amongst our top “food finds, heroes and favourite flavours” of 2023, calling it a “kosher gem” whose extensive menu is “elevated” above traditional street food.

Mazal's mezze is perfect for sunny days Photo: Victoria Prever[Missing Credit]

Speaking to the JC at the awards, Dogus said that Jewish communities were pioneers of the Middle Eastern cuisine celebrated in the ceremony.

“It is important to have a kosher category because the British Kebab Awards represent the diverse communities in the UK and the food we are offering to the British public from the Middle East. Jewish communities are pioneers in the food we are serving today,” he said, adding: “Without a kosher category, kebabs would be meaningless.”

Moreover, he revealed that more kosher restaurants had participated in the awards this year than ever before.

The awards were also attended by a number of senior parliamentarians, including Jewish MP for Finchley and Golders Green, Sarah Sackman, who spoke of her pride that her constituency boasted the “largest number of nominees” and joked that the award-worthy outlets had kept her “fuelled on the campaign trail”.

She added that “our community is reflected in the diversity of our cuisine” and food “demonstrates the very best of what migrant communities [and] diaspora communities bring… They remind us that our diversity is our strength”.

Other finalists in the category were Balady Alaesh in Barnet, Balagan in Borehamwood, Celia's Kitchen in Manchester, Pita in Golders Green, Sababa Borehamwood, Sami’s in Edgware and Samis Restaurant, Shefa Mehadrin in Manchester and Tony Page at Island Grill on Lancaster Terrace in London.

Dogus added that he planned on visiting the award-winning Mazal in the next few weeks and looked forward to trying the “delicious” menu.

The top kosher award began in 2022 with Baker Street deli Reubens (which is set to reopen soon following an extended absence) winning the inaugural prize sponsored annually by Jewish News.