A TV chef’s award-winning Birmingham restaurant has launched a legal action for defamation against an Indian food blogger.

Lasan, whose chef director Aktar Islam was a winner on the BBC’s Great British Menu, is seeking “substantial damages” from Dan Toombs following a restaurant report on his website.

The blog concerned a visit to Lasan in the Jewellery Quarter and an alleged dispute over the payment of a bill. Mr Toombs, an American based in North Yorkshire, is a prolific user of Twitter and has nearly 19,000 followers using the name @TheCurryGuy. It is understood the allegations about Lasan were also mentioned on the microblogging site.

Mr Toombs’s blog entry has been removed from his website.

In a statement, Jabbar Khan, founder of Lasan Group, said “Following the defamatory allegations made against Lasan and its owners, a letter before action was sent by our solicitors requesting that unless the offending material is removed we would issue immediate injunction proceedings for its removal and a warning given that a claim will be issued for substantial damages for defamation.

“The offending material has subsequently been removed and proceedings will now be issued for substantial damages for defamation.”

Mr Toombs said he had been advised by his solicitor not to comment.

Lasan was named Best Local Restaurant in Britain by Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word in 2010.