Cyrus Todiwala

Cyrus Rustom Todiwala OBE, DL, (born 16 October 1956), is an Indian chef proprietor of Café Spice Namasté and a celebrity television chef. He trained at the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces chain in India, and rose to become executive chef for eleven restaurants within those hotels. He moved to the UK in 1991 with his family, and following some initial financial difficulties after taking over a restaurant, Michael Gottlieb provided investment funding, allowing Todiwala to open Café Spice Namasté in 1995, the restaurant for which he is best known.

He has subsequently launched a range of condiments and sauces called Mr Todiwala's, and a second restaurant called Mr Todiwala's Kitchen, which is located at the Hilton at Heathrow Airport near Terminal 5. He was awarded an MBE in 2000, and an OBE in 2009. He has also been awarded an honorary doctorate and been made an honorary professor. In 2012, he cooked for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programmes, such as the BBC radio 1 Saturday Cook show.

Biography

Born and brought up in a Parsi family in Mumbai, India, he lived with his family in a house split into ten flats. His father worked for the Automobile Association as Chief of Road Service for Western India.

Todiwala finished his schooling in Barnes School and then graduated from Sophia Shree B K Somani Polytechnic having studied Hotel Administration and Food Technology. He trained as a chef with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces in India, eventually becoming Executive Chef for all of the chain's hotels in India, some eleven restaurants with 160 staff. He moved to Australia in 1991, and moved to the United Kingdom with his family, having been invited to run a restaurant in Alie Street in London called Namasté, which Todiwala describes as having been "pretty lousy". However, the school closed after a few years following a change in funding. While he was facing threats of deportation from the Home Office, he was also on the National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets alongside former Home Secretary David Blunkett. In 2011, he launched a new restaurant named Mr Todiwala's Kitchen, which is located within the Hilton Hotel at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. He has appeared regularly at Taste Festivals, including those in London and in Dubai. The dish has since been added to the menu at Café Spice Namaste.

In December 2014, after having established four premiere restaurants in London, Cyrus returned to India to establish The River Restaurant, his first restaurant in India, at the Acron Waterfront Resort in Baga on the banks of the Baga river in Goa.

In 2017 Todiwala became the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST)'s first ever chef ambassador. This role enables Todiwala to combine his interests in food and conservation.

Awards In 2000, Todiwala was awarded an MBE for services to the restaurant and catering industry. He was subsequently appointed an OBE in the 2010 New Year's Honours List. He was given a special award at the Craft Guild of Chefs awards in 2012 for "outstanding contribution to the industry". He has subsequently become a judge for The Catey Awards.

He has long been a proponent of staff training, and earned an Investors in People for Café Spice Namasté. This training approach also saw him awarded an Education and Training Catey award in 2005. Also in 2005, he won the special award at the Springboard Awards for Excellence.

In 2009, he was given an honorary doctorate by London Metropolitan University. He was also made an honorary professor of Thames Valley University and a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London. He was first listed in Who's Who in 2011.

In 2013 Todiwala partnered with Tony Singh to present their own cookery show on BBC Two, The Incredible Spice Men: Todiwala And Singh.

He has also appeared on "Britain's Natural World: Unnatural History of London" discussing his love of British birds.

In 2018 Todiwala appeared on BBC Ones's of Royal Recipes to recreate the pudding that was served by him on Queens Diamond Jubilee function.

Personal life Cyrus is married to Pervin. The two met at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. They have two sons together, and it was Pervin's idea for the family to move to the UK in 1991. While he states that his favourite type of cuisine is Parsi, he will eat anything although aubergines give him indigestion.