Nisha Katona facts for kids

Nisha Katona is a famous British chef, TV star, and business owner. She is best known for starting the Mowgli Street Food restaurants. Before she became a food expert, she worked as a child protection barrister (a type of lawyer) for 20 years.

Katona is also a successful author who writes cookbooks. She founded the Mowgli Trust charity, which helps people in need. For her work, she was awarded an MBE, a special honor in the United Kingdom.

Early Life and Education

Nisha Katona was born in Ormskirk, England, to parents who were both doctors. She grew up in Skelmersdale and went to Scarisbrick Hall School.

For college, she studied law at Liverpool John Moores University. This is where she met her husband, Zoltán Katona. After finishing her law degree, she trained to become a barrister in London.

From Law to Food

For two decades, Katona worked as a full-time barrister, helping to protect children. She was very respected in her field. She also took on important roles outside of the courtroom. In 2008, she became a trustee for National Museums Liverpool, helping to manage the city's museums. The next year, she was chosen to be an Ambassador for Diversity, encouraging people from all backgrounds to take on public roles.

Even with a busy law career, Katona had a passion for Indian cooking. She decided to switch careers to share her love of food with others. This led her to create Mowgli Street Food.

Mowgli Street Food

Katona opened her first Mowgli Street Food restaurant to share the kind of food that Indians eat at home and on their streets. The restaurants became very popular.

She also started the Mowgli Trust, a charity connected to her restaurants. The trust donates hundreds of thousands of pounds every year to charities in the UK and around the world.

Television and Books

Nisha Katona is a familiar face on television. She has appeared on many shows on channels like the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4. She often appears as a guest chef on the show This Morning.

Some of her other TV appearances include:

• Sunday Brunch
• Great British Menu, where she was a judge
• Cooking with the Stars, where she coached a celebrity to victory
• MasterChef, where she challenged contestants to cook one of her recipes
• A Taste of Italy, her own travel and cooking show

Katona has also written six popular cookbooks to help people make delicious Indian food at home.

University Chancellor

On January 1, 2022, Nisha Katona became the chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. A chancellor is the formal head of a university. This was a special moment because she was the first former student (alumna) of the university to be given this important role.

Awards and Recognition

Nisha Katona has received many awards for her success in the food industry and as a business leader.

• In 2019, she was awarded an MBE for her services to the food industry.
• Her restaurant chain, Mowgli, has been named one of the best companies to work for in the UK.
• She has been recognized as a top business leader and entrepreneur.
• Mowgli has won awards for being the "Restaurant Brand of the Year" and "Best Restaurant" in the North West of England.