My Story

I grew up with Cumbrian baking alongside my mother's masalas in our kitchen. At eighteen, I rubbed the rough edges from my northern cooking style at the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London, and then lived in India for two decades.

I was a chef at the Taj Hotel in Delhi and hosted a cookery segment on Star TV for several years - the only Indian cook with a Cumbrian accent.  During my time in India, I met chefs from across the country, picked up splendid recipes from home cooks, and the spice box became a star performer of my kitchen kit. 

I’ve cooked for Bollywood weddings, Heads of State, and TV audiences, and catered at locations, which include The Royal Opera House in London and 5-star hotels across India.

After living and working in India, I returned to London, where I was Food Editor with UKTV’s Good Food channel for six years, working with many leading chefs.

As a consultant, I have enjoyed working on TV and book projects such as Rick Stein's BBC2 series on India. I'm a published author, and when I'm not making masala, I write restaurant reviews and recipe features, consult for leading brands, and am available for cookery demonstrations and broadcast interviews.