Brum tries to 'steal' Balti name

A PLAN by the council to effectively trademark the term Balti has failed to curry favour with one Sutton restaurateur.

Muhib Rahman, proprietor of Mother India in Boldmere Road, says he is having naan of it.

Restaurateurs across Britain have been discovering this week that if Birmingham council chiefs get their way, they could no longer be allowed to sell Balti meals.

In a spot of argy-bhaji, the local authority is seeking legal protection for the Balti name in a bid to boost restaurants in the 'Balti District' – the Moseley and Sparkhill areas of Birmingham credited with the dish's creation.

It could mean a ban on restaurants using the term outside of the area – including long-established restaurants in Sutton Coldfield just a few miles away.

Muhib told the Observer: "What's next, banning pizzas outside of Italy?

"Most people know that Balti technically refers to the vessel in which the meal was cooked or served, so it seems a bit like copyrighting 'saucer' or 'bucket'."

He said: "You can have a korma in a Balti, so are we banned from serving korma?

"And chicken tikka masala is an English dish – can that no longer be served under that title outside of England?

"It's just all very silly and I feel pretty aggrieved.

"I have been selling baltis since I left college and I don't want to stop, change the name, or pay a royalty."

The use of the term Balti for meals is thought to have been coined by Pakistani cooks who were based in Birmingham in the 1970s.

There are precedents for the authority's project. Geography has long had the generic in its sights, with Wensleydale Cheese and Champagne among the protected examples.

A spokesperson for the council said that it could make sense to trademark the term Balti, if the measure promoted the city internationally.