A WORCESTER company has been commissioned to produce the official website and on-line directory for a group of curry lovers!

WorcesterIT was asked to design a web site for the Curry Club, a respected world-wide curry reference authority and quality mark scheme.

Founded in 1982, it has grown to have more than 35,000 paid-up members and thousands more supporters.

"Curry diners will be familiar with the Curry Club window sticker and restaurant quality certificate on the windows and walls of the best curry restaurants," said Alan Gale, partner and web designer at WorcesterIT, based on Shrub Hill Industrial Estate.

"Club members form the national network of 'reporters' who choose the restaurants published in The Good Curry Guide each year."

The 2003 guide features the top 1,000 curry restaurants in the UK.

As successive guides were brought out, the need for a complete directory of restaurants was identified, and The 'Curryholics' Directory' was born.

WorcesterIT was asked to produce an on-line version of the directory, which contains the names and addresses of more than 8,000 restaurants.

The company won the contract following an initial contact to Curry Club founder, Pat Chapman, proposing a simple website for the Curry Club.

"Pat was already in the process of developing a website, but during an exchange of e-mails, in which WorcesterIT gave Pat some advice on web design, he offered the company the chance to produce the directory."

He said the development of the site, which can be found at www.curryholicsdirectory.com and currently has about 3,200 listings, would be on-going as new recipes, restaurants and other information went on-line..

WorcesterIT was set up by Alan Gale and Greg Evans, in July 2000. They had been in the Army together, with Mr Gale serving 14 years, and Mr Evans 22 years.

Before coming out of the Army, they had been based at Malvern, working in the Information Support Group.

The company's profile is IT consultancy, but it also offers website and database design, IT training and general IT support for computers and networks.

Mr Gale and Mr Evans are supported by their wives, Esther and Morag, in the running of the company.

"We travelled the world while serving in the forces and liked Worcester so much when we were based in Malvern that we decided to settle down here," said Mr Gale.

"Having spent the last few years working in IT support, WorcesterIT was formed as a natural progression into civilian life.

Good Curry Guide

THERE are 13 Worcestershire curry restaurants listed in the 2003 Good Curry Guide. They are, in alphabetical order:

AJANTA - 243 Worcester Road, Malvern Link, Malvern.

AKASH - 31-33 Unicorn Hill, Redditch.

ANUPAN - 85 Church Street, Great Malvern.

BALTI RAJ TAKEAWAY - 41 Unicorn Hill, Redditch.

BOMBAY PALACE - 38 The Tything, Worcester.

EURASIA TAKEAWAY - Unit 1, 19 Stourbridge Road, Kidderminster.

NAWAB - 17-21 Unicorn Hill, Redditch.

NEW SHER E PUNJAB - 48 George Street, Kidderminster.

PURBANI - 27 The Tything, Worcester.

RAJAH OF BEWDLEY - 8 Load Street, Bewdley.

SHAMRAJ BALTI HOUSE - 28 Cross Street, Tenbury Wells.

SHUNARGA - 44 High Street, Pershore.

SPICES TAKEAWAY - 9 Barbourne Road, Worcester.