Pictured above: Raz (far right) advises the 40 Commando Royal Marine chefs on the finer points of curry

Arfan Razak, owner of Nottingham's renowned Indian restaurant The Curry Lounge, has followed in the footsteps of celebrities such as Katherine Jenkins, The Saturdays and James Blunt in honouring hundreds of Royal Marines that have recently returned from active service in Afghanistan.

A special event was held for the men and women of 40 Commando Royal Marines at their base in Taunton, Somerset, after Remembrance Sunday. Arranged by The British Forces Foundation, the evening began with a traditional Indian meal prepared by Arfan (better known as Raz) before moving into a transformed assembly hall for a special comedy show by several celebrity comedians. 

"I've long admired the outstanding dedication of the Armed Forces and the great sacrifices they make," commented Raz. "The fact is that these brave men and women put their lives on the line and I'm humbled by the way they downplay this and say that they're just doing their job. So, I decided to show my appreciation by doing my job and cooking a meal worthy of these troops.

"We have done a lot for Help for Heroes and as a result of this I was invited by The British Forces Foundation to the 40 Commando Royal Marines evening. Some great celebrities have been involved in this project to help raise the morale of the troops, but there need to be more events like this. The true stars on the night were the troops and it was a privilege to cook for them."

The British Forces Foundation is a charitable organisation that helps to boost the morale of British servicemen and women by producing top quality shows both in Afghanistan and back in the UK.

Mark Cann, chief executive of The British Forces Foundation, added: "As an organisation we receive no Government funding and rely entirely on private and public donations. Events, such as the one in Taunton, are our way of conveying the gratitude of the British public for the work of the Armed Forces. Those taking part offer their time and talent without charge, which is why it's fantastic when a chef of Raz's calibre offers to support us.

"Troops returning from the front-line often tell us that curry is one of the foods they miss the most, so they were thrilled to be served some truly authentic dishes by Raz and his team."

Raz and The Curry Lounge shot to fame after appearing on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares show in 2007. Since then, the restaurant has gone from strength-to-strength, developing a reputation for traditional Indian, Punjabi and Kashmiri cuisine. It has also picked up some of the industry's leading awards.

For further information on The Curry Lounge, visit www.currylounge.co.uk. Additional details on The British Forces Foundation can be found at www.bff.org.uk .