Cyrus Todiwala

The 2014 BBC Food Personality of the Year, Cyrus was born and brought up in Bombay, where his father was the first Indian employee of the Automobile Association and later the Chief of Road Service Western India. He was first inspired to become a chef by his mother’s unforgettable cooking, so rather than following in his father’s footsteps, he chose the road less travelled.

After graduating in Hotel Administration & Food Technology from Bombay’s Basant Kumar Somani Polytechnic, Cyrus quickly made his mark. From a trainee chef, he rose to become Corporate Executive Chef of the famous Taj Group’s Taj Holiday Village, The Fort Aguada Beach Resort & The Aguada Hermitage in Goa. By this time, he and Pervin had two young boys, Jamsheed, now a designer in London, and Hormuzd, an actor. Both sons are now active in the family business.

In 1991 Cyrus moved his family to London, where they have remained eversince. Today, in his bastion Cafe Spice Namaste, Cyrus is known for his refined, elegantly spiced and sophisticated cooking. He has cooked for royalty, presidents and international celebrities and is often invited to be a guest chef at food festivals and hotels from Dubai to Durban, and all across the United Kingdom.

Ever the keen environmentalist (he helped to establish two bird sanctuaries in Goa), and a champion of sustainability, Cyrus chooses to cook with organic and sustainable products wherever possible and firmly believes in 'buying British'. He is an advisor on HRH The Prince of Wales’ Mutton Renaissance Movement and on the London Food Board.

Cyrus is also the author of five phenomenally successful cookbooks – Café Spice Namasté, International Cuisine India, Indian Summer, dedicated to the memory of a much-loved nephew, The Incredible Spicemen (a tie-up of the hugely popular BBC series) and Mr Todiwala's Bombay: Recipes and Memories of India. He is the only Indian chef in the UK to have been recorded for the archives of the British Library. No stranger to the media, he appears regularly on BBC1′s Saturday Kitchen, on the BBC Radio 4 Food Programme, and is often interviewed on radio. In 2013, he appeared in the hit BBC food series, 'The Incredible Spicemen'.Cyrus has an MBE for his services to education and an OBE for his contribution to the hospitality industry.

As a speaker, he talks comfortably on a number of subjects including Entrepreneurship; Corporate Social Responsibility – sustainability and the environment, Training and Skills Development, Cultural Cross-over - Why Indians soar in the UK, Customer Retention and Motivation.

To book Cyrus to attend your event please call a Prime Performers Booking Agent on 020 3500 3331 or email your enquiry to us at info@primeperformers.co.uk