Principal Culinary Advisors

Chef Manjit Gill

President
Indian Federation of Culinary Association
Image

Manjit Gill is a highly acclaimed chef with over four decades of excellence in the culinary profession. He has passionately researched and applied the learnings of Ancient Indian Cuisine to his work and is a great believer in the sustainable philosophy of Indian Vedic knowledge and slow food.


With a mantra of “discovery & constant innovation” he is held in the highest regard by the Hospitality Industry’s top gastronomic echelons. Chef Gill has been honoured innumerable times for his formidable work with restaurant brand creation, icons of Indian cuisine such as Bukhara, Dumpukht, Kebab & Kurry, Dakshin, Royal Vega – Honestly vegetarian. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Ministry of Tourism, India. World Punjabi Organization presented the “Punjabi Gold Award” for his invaluable contribution to Punjabi community. He is a board member of the Institute of hotel management (New Delhi), IHM (Gurdaspur), Food Craft Institute (Hoshiarpur). Various books authored by him are Eating wisely & well by Penguin, Fire / Water / Earth / Air / Ether, Secrets of Indian Gastronomy, Indian Spa Cuisine.


In Chef Gill’s words, “In many respects my philosophy on food and my life are same - both should be an experience of Happiness, Serenity and Joyful living. These principles have developed from a broad range of professional experiences as well as from contact with people of diverse cultures and Lifestyles. My kitchen is a mystical place, my temple. It is where the learnings of the past transfer into the future.” This truly reflects his perspective of food and life.

Dr. Ashish Chopra

Founder-Executive Director
of the Institute for Environmental Management and Social Development
Image

Culinary expert Ashish Chopra was the Founder-Executive Director of the Institute for Environmental Management and Social Development until he decided to take permanent sabbatical to pursue his passion for food and travel. He now dedicates his quality time working as a culinary historian, travel writer, photographer, author and television host. Currently, he is the Senior Consulting Editor of Food & Beverage Buzz a leading national magazine dedicated to promote and showcase India’s rich culinary heritage. He also organises culinary tours and heritage food walks for food lovers from across the world and curates food festivals specialising in heritage cuisines. He has worked as a consultant for popular TV channels and helped them curate various television series revolving around food, including Gordon Ramsey’s "Great Escapes on North-East Indian Cuisine.” Read more about his journey on his website - www.theculinaryhistorian.com

Kunal Vijayakar

food writer And
author and television personality
Image

Kunal Vijayakar is a food writer, author and television personality. A whole generation have watched him eat his way into the hearts of hundreds and thousands of Indians. He is India’s most recognisable food show host, and the anchor of the country's most popular food show The Foodie – with Kunal Vijayakar, a show which ran uninterrupted for nine years, completing close to 500 episodes. He has been a food columnist and writer with The Times of India, Bombay Times, DNA, Asian Age, Mahanagar, and The Week and is currently a food writer and columnist with Hindustan Times. He is the author of Made In India – his first cookbook. He is also an actor, director and political satirist, and writer, performer and director of the political satirical show The News That Wasn't and The Week That Wasn't on CNN News18.