Rachel Goenka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rachel Goenka
Rachel Goenka
Born	(1988-04-06) 6 April 1988 (age 37)
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Pennsylvania State University Ballymaloe Cookery School Le Cordon Bleu
Occupation	Restaurateur, chef
Known for	The Sassy Spoon, Sassy Teaspoon, House of Mandarin
Notable work	Adventures with Mithai (2019)
Parent(s)	Viveck Goenka (father)
Relatives	Ramnath Goenka (great-grand father)
Awards	The Gourmand World Cookbook Award, 2020

Rachel Goenka is a talented Indian chef, author, and business owner. She started a company called The Chocolate Spoon Company, which is based in Mumbai. Rachel runs many popular restaurants and bakeries.

Some of her well-known places include The Sassy Spoon, which serves European food, and House of Mandarin, a Chinese restaurant. She also has Baraza Bars and Bites, a pub with a beach theme, and Wicked China, an Asian restaurant and bar. Sassy Teaspoon is her chain of bakeries and dessert shops.

In 2018, she was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by The Times of India. The CEO Magazine also listed her as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Watch For in 2018. Rachel has appeared on the covers of several magazines. In 2020, she won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for her book, Adventures with Mithai.

Rachel's Early Life and School

Rachel Goenka studied Journalism and English at The Pennsylvania State University. After that, she went to the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland. There, she learned cooking from the famous chef Rachel Allen. Rachel then went to Le Cordon Bleu in London. She specialized in making pastries and desserts there.

Starting Her Career

Rachel opened her very first restaurant, The Sassy Spoon, in Mumbai in 2013. It was located in Nariman Point. A famous French chef, Alain Ducasse, even chose it to be part of a special food event in 2014. In 2015, she opened a second Sassy Spoon restaurant in Bandra, another part of Mumbai.

In 2016, Rachel started Sassy Teaspoon. This is a chain of bakeries and patisseries (places that sell pastries and cakes). You can find Sassy Teaspoon shops in both Mumbai and Pune. The Sassy Spoon in Mumbai won an award for 'Best Independent Restaurant in India' in its first year. In 2017, she launched The House of Mandarin, which serves real Chinese food.

Rachel also owns other places like Baraza Bars and Bites, which is a pub with a fun beach theme. Wicked China is another one of her Asian-themed restaurants. She now owns seven restaurants and ten bakeries across Mumbai and Pune.

Books She Has Written

In 2019, Rachel wrote a cookbook called Rachel Goenka's Adventures with Mithai. It was published by HarperCollins. The book was officially launched in Mumbai on October 14, 2019. In December 2019, her book won The Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2020. It won in the category for pastry and desserts.

Rachel's Family Life

Rachel Goenka married Karan Khetarpal, a banker from Dubai, in February 2014. They have a son named Kabir. In April 2021, on her birthday, Rachel and Karan welcomed their daughter, Amalia. Rachel is the daughter of Viveck Goenka, who is the chairman and managing director of The Indian Express.

Awards and Recognition

Rachel Goenka has received many awards for her work: