Cyrus Todiwala facts for kids
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| Born | 16 October 1956 Mumbai, India |
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| Cooking style | Parsi cuisine |
| Spouse | Pervin Todiwala |
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Current restaurant(s)
“ Mr Todiwala's Petiscos” |
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Previous restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Award(s) won
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Cyrus Rustom Todiwala is a famous Indian chef and restaurant owner. He is well-known for his restaurant Café Spice Namasté in London. Cyrus is also a popular chef on television. He has received special awards, including an OBE, for his amazing work in the food world. In 2012, he even cooked for Queen Elizabeth II!
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About Cyrus Todiwala
Cyrus Todiwala was born on October 16, 1956, in Mumbai, India. He grew up in a Parsi family. His father worked for the Automobile Association.
Cyrus went to Barnes School and then studied Hotel Administration and Food Technology. He started his career as a busboy. Later, he trained to be a chef with the Taj Hotels chain in India. He became the head chef for eleven of their restaurants, managing 160 staff members!
In 1991, Cyrus moved to the United Kingdom with his family. He took over a restaurant called Namasté. Even though his cooking was praised, the restaurant faced money problems. With the help of his wife, Pervin, Cyrus decided to take over the restaurant himself.
Opening Café Spice Namasté
It was tough to get loans from banks. But with support from his family, Cyrus kept going. In 1995, he opened Café Spice Namasté. This restaurant quickly became very famous and is still well-loved today.
Cyrus has also worked with the National Health Service (NHS) to create special menus for hospitals. He also helped set up a cooking school to train new chefs.
New Restaurants and Products
In 2006, Cyrus opened a coffee shop and restaurant called Café’t’. In 2010, he launched his own line of cooking sauces and pickles called Mr Todiwala's.
In 2011, he opened another restaurant, Mr Todiwala's Kitchen. This restaurant is located inside the Hilton Hotel at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
In 2014, Cyrus opened his first restaurant in India, called The River Restaurant. It is in Goa, on the banks of the Baga river.
In 2017, Cyrus became the first chef ambassador for the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. This role lets him combine his love for food with helping to protect rare farm animals.
Cooking for the Queen
As part of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012, Cyrus cooked a special meal for the Queen and Prince Philip. He made a dish called Country Captain, using rare mutton from the Orkney Islands. This dish is now on the menu at Café Spice Namasté!
Awards and Recognition
Cyrus Todiwala has received many important awards for his contributions to the food industry.
- In 2000, he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire).
- In 2010, he received an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).
- In 2012, he got a special award from the Craft Guild of Chefs for his "outstanding contribution" to the industry.
Cyrus believes in training his staff well. His restaurant, Café Spice Namasté, earned an Investors in People award for its great training programs. He also won an Education and Training Catey award in 2005.
In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate from London Metropolitan University. He was also made an honorary professor at Thames Valley University. He is also a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London.
In 2010, the Evening Standard newspaper named him one of London's most influential people in the food world. He was listed alongside other famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.
Television and Radio Work
Cyrus Todiwala often appears on cooking shows. You might have seen him on:
- Saturday Kitchen (BBC One)
- Market Kitchen (UKTV Food)
- Daybreak (ITV)
- Drop Down Menu (Channel 4)
He has also been on many radio shows, including BBC Radio 4, Radio 5 Live, and the BBC World Service.
In 2013, Cyrus teamed up with chef Tony Singh to present their own cooking show on BBC Two, called The Incredible Spice Men: Todiwala And Singh.
In 2018, he appeared on BBC One's Royal Recipes. On the show, he recreated the special pudding he served to the Queen during her Diamond Jubilee.
Personal Life
Cyrus is married to Pervin. They met at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. They have two sons. It was Pervin's idea for the family to move to the UK in 1991.
Cyrus tries to use sustainable ingredients in his restaurants. He also believes in the healthy effects of spices. He used to call his father in India to learn about spices from an old Gujarati book. After his father passed away, Cyrus got the book, but he finds the language hard to read now.
Cyrus says his favorite type of food is Parsi cuisine. He enjoys eating many different foods, but aubergines (eggplants) give him indigestion!
