I'm Neerali; a British-born Indian chef with a particular passion for Italian cooking. I have been working as a chef for a few years now but my love affair with great food started from a very young age. Coming from an extended Indian family I grew up surrounded by delicious food, from day-to-day comforting dinners to the extravagant festive treats. The Italian influence hit me hard when my aunty m
arried a lovely Genoese man in Italy. I fell in love with the food, the culture, the lifestyle and the people; and although I've travelled to many countries, near and far, I always end up back in some part of Italy every few years to discover new secrets. As for my career background, I attended university to study Nutrition & Food Science, however during my time living away from home I discovered my true calling was more so in the practical side of food, cooking for friends and colleagues at the time, than the theoretical side. Hence my decision to join the kitchen team of a lovely pub straight after my graduation. After spending a great year & a half learning the way a fast-paced kitchen was run I decided it was time to step up a level, entering into the world of a 1 rosette restaurant, The Modern Pantry. In my 6 months there I learnt the art of fusing different cuisines together (as you can see here). I learnt a huge array of skills from the many talented and multinational chefs I worked with during my time there; from such things as meat and fish prep, making a beautiful stock and time-keeping to producing delicate yet punchy canapés and the importance of presentation. Following this I was given the opportunity to spend a couple of months in Calabria, the most southern point of mainland Italy. I learnt about the vibrant produce of that region whilst living with a wonderful Calabrian family and visiting their farm, and how the produce were used to make exceptional dishes by gaining experience working in a Calabrian restaurant, La Collinetta, which was still routed around the traditions of the area. And most recently I worked as kitchen manager at a brand new bakery-come-cafe/restaurant, serving breakfast/brunch, sourdough base pizzas, biancas, paninis, pasta dishes & cicchetti (Italian-style tapas). Through all this I have learnt that the key to truly great food is simplicity using beautiful ingredients.
