Curry and Chaos: Award-Winning Micklefield Takeaway Battles Temporary Traffic Light Woes

From a small kitchen in a West Yorkshire village to winning  Outstanding Takeaway of the Year, Bengal Cottage has transformed into Micklefield’s ultimate culinary crown. Known for its authentic flavours and community spirit, this beloved local favourite continues to captivate curry lovers across the region. However, a recipe for logistical chaos right outside their front door is currently testing the takeaway’s resilience.

Since opening its doors in 2019, Bengal Cottage – led by founder Mo Miah (29) – has continually redefined the takeaway experience in Micklefield. The team was recently crowned Outstanding Takeaway of the Year at the Yorkshire & Northeast Curry Awards. They were also granted Best Takeaway in Leeds at the ‘LEEDSLOVES2022’ Awards cementing their status as a regional heavyweight.

The Traffic Light Headache 

But it isn’t just the kitchen heat keeping the team on their toes. A row of temporary traffic lights has been installed directly outside the business premises. The new layout has sparked massive headaches for both the business and its patrons, completely upending the local parking situation. 

With the lights positioned right at their doorstep, regular customer parking spaces have vanished overnight. To make matters worse, residents and business owners have been informed that these disruptive temporary measures are here for the long haul and expected to remain in place until next year. 

“It has been incredibly tough for our collection customers,” explained Mo. “Losing the parking spaces right outside our door creates a bottleneck, especially during our busiest weekend rushes. We just ask everyone to please be patient and mindful of our neighbours’ driveways while the lights are here.”

Safety First for Local Children 

While the traffic bottleneck is a major inconvenience for a business built on a fast 20-25-minute collection turnaround, the reason behind the infrastructure change is one the village stands firmly behind. The temporary signals were put in place due to the TransPennine Route Upgrade works, which closed nearby Ridge Road. This closure forced heavy, diverted traffic onto the Great North Road. 

To protect local children crossing the newly congested road to get to the local primary school, Micklefield Parish Council and local ward councillors successfully lobbied Network Rail for a temporary crossing. 

“I don’t blame them,” Mo said, referring to community safety concerns. “While the traffic is a headache for business, we fully understand and support the safety of the village children. With the extra diverted traffic on the main road, a safe school crossing is absolutely vital. We are part of this community, and safety has to come first.”

Adapting to the Chaos 

Despite the roadblock to smooth collections, the Bengal Cottage team is doing what they do best: adapting to support the community. To keep curry nights stress-free, the takeaway is reminding customers that they offer an estimated 30–60-minute delivery window, directly to hungry households, completely bypassing the traffic. For those still wishing to collect, a secondary parking option is available at the nearby primary school car park, which customers are permitted to use strictly after 5 PM. 

The kitchen boasts an impressive menu ranging from fiery Madras to crowd-pleasing onion bhajis. You can view the full menu and claim 10% off online orders on the Bengal Cottage Official Website.