I wanted to share an exciting milestone:
Sharmini’s Inspirational Indian Cuisine Cookery School has been named one of the Nation’s Favourite Businesses for 2026
1 SEPTEMBER 2026: Sharmini’s Cookery School in York has been named as one of the Nation’s Favourite Businesses by the Small Business Saturday campaign, as it kicks off its annual call to champion and support the nation’s favourite small businesses.
With two decades of teaching adult education for the City of York Council, culinary educator Sharmini Thomas founded her cookery school in 2003, demystifying authentic Indian home cooking through immersive, hands-on masterclasses
Following a nationwide search, the York business has been selected as part of this year’s Nation’s Favourite Business line-up, in a shake up from the campaign’s long-standing SmallBiz100.
The Nation’s Favourite Businesses campaign will showcase each business as part of the official countdown to Small Business Saturday on 5 December – a grassroots non-commercial campaign, originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010, and the principal supporter in the UK, aimed at celebrating and uplifting independent firms by encouraging the public to support and spend with small businesses.
‘Being selected for this national recognition is a tremendous honour,’ says Sharmini Thomas, affectionately known across the city as York’s ‘Curry Queen’. York has an extraordinary, supportive independent business community, and I am incredibly proud to represent our city on the national stage as we champion local businesses.
This moment belongs to all of our supporters, from the students filling our cookery classes to those choosing our vouchers as meaningful experience gifts. I am endlessly grateful to our wonderful community and my family, whose support makes every milestone possible.
Small Business Saturday is the UK’s most successful small business campaign. Since launching in in the UK in 2013, it has engaged millions of people and seen billions of pounds spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday, with an impact that lasts all year round.
Last year, the campaign saw extensive media coverage, as well as public support from the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and Chancellor, leader of the opposition, The Mayor of London, and over 90% of the nation’s local councils.
https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/nations-favourite-businesses