Atul Kochhar

Atul Kochhar is an Indian-born British chef. Born in Jamshedpur in northern India, Kochhar was trained and worked at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi.

Biography

In 1994, he was appointed head chef at the Tamarind restaurant, in Mayfair, London. By the age of 31, he became the first Indian chef to be awarded the Michelin star.

In 2002 Atul joined Marks and Spencers as a consultant chef and advised on their Indian food range. In the summer of the same year he left Tamarind to start his own restaurant.

Atul Kochhar now owns an elite restaurant, Benares. Its menu reflects his passion for food from all areas of India and a setting to rival the most elegant of restaurants in London.

Never complacent with the quality of his work, he returns to his homeland whenever possible to research new recipes and ingredients. His acclaimed cookbook "Indian Essence" is the product of one such trip and he is currently working on a second book on Indian vegetarian food. His recipes have appeared widely in magazines and newspapers, and he demonstrates regularly on food shows in the United Kingdom and abroad. He lives in west London with his wife and daughter. He also teaches Indian cookery at the nearby Thames Valley University.

Recently, he has represented South-East England in the BBC's Great British Menu. Kochhar beat renowned chef Gary Rhodes in order to represent the South-East in the final round. In The 2007 Series, Atul again triumphed in...
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