Accolades• WinnerBBC’s‘EatingwiththeEnemy’(2008)• ‘OutstandingFemaleEntrepreneur’(ATLBusinessLinkYorkshireEnterprise&DiversityAwards2008)• CivicAward,BradfordCityCouncil,2009• Founder‘GitaMistryFood’

BiographyAwardwinningchef,expertinauthenticIndiancuisine,businessentrepreneur,volleyballchampion,Bollywooddancer,passionatesupporterofchildreninneed;thereareasmanyexotictwiststoGitaMistryassecretingredientsinhermagicSpiceTins.

‘Eating with the Enemy’In2008GitawonBBC’s‘EatingwiththeEnemy’,anationwidecompetitiontofind‘Britain’sBestHomeCook’,presentedbycelebrityTVchefJamesMartin.

GitaemergedthestaroftheshowreceivingawealthofcomplimentsfromthejudgeswhoincludedsomeofBritain’sbestknownandfiercestfoodcritics.Onewentsofarastodescribehercookingas“betterthensex”!

 

 

Bradford LassGitaMistrywasborninBradford,WestYorkshire,onApril23rd1968toIndianparentswhocametotheUKviaTanzaniaandwhomarriedwhenGita’smotherwasjust13andherfather20.

StilllivinginBradfordtothisday,Gitaisfiercelyproudofherrootsandtherichlocaldialectisevidentinherdown-to-earthvocabularythatmadeGitasuchafavouriteon‘EatingwiththeEnemy’.Hinderedbydyslexiaatschool,Gitawasdrawntothearts(musicanddance)andsportsandalthoughherparentscouldnotaffordthevarioustuitionfees,whichmeantthatlearningthepianowasnotanoption,shedidlearntoplaytabladrums(apopulartwopiecepercussioninstrument,usedinclassicalmusicoftheIndianSubcontinent)andwentontorepresentEnglandin1984attheWorldSchools’VolleyballChampionships.

Althoughshehaslittletimeforsportsthesedays,musiccontinuestoinspireherinworkandlife.

Leavingschoolat18,Gitaembarkedona20yearcareerinsocialserviceswithBradfordCityCouncilwhereshefirstencounteredtheissuesfacingdisadvantagedchildrenandthehomelessthatshecontinuestosupporttodayandoneoftheproudestdaysofherlifewasinFebruary2009whentheCityofBradfordawardedheracivicreceptiontomarkherachievements.

DuringthistimeGitacontinuedwithherloveoftheartsandin2001shewonthepartofCarolinWillyRussell’s‘StagsandHens’attheTheatreintheMill,Bradford,thenthebrightlightsofLondonbeckonedwheresheauditionedforapartin‘BombayDreams’.

ItwasfollowingaspellperformingattheYorkshirePlayhouseinfourBollywooddancepiecesthatGitawasspottedbythedirectorofapilotBBC3movieandhercareerasalivepresenterwasborn.

 

Passion for Food

 

Gitadefineshercookingas‘NewGenerationIndianCuisine’,wheretraditionalIndiantechniques,ingredientsanddishesaregivenafresh,contemporarytwist.

Someofherearliestmemoriesareofhermotherdryingspicesinthesunandgrindingthemtogetheronalargesilverplatebeforestoringtheminherspecialspicetinswiththeirmyriadofcompartmentsanditwasn’tlongbeforeayoungGitawasborrowing’hermotherspicetinstopreparemealsforneighboringfamilies.

ThroughfamilyandfriendsGitahasuncoveredforgottenGaramasalarecipes,bestkeptsecretsandtraditionshandeddownthroughthegenerationsandhasbuiltupawealthofknowledgeandexperiencethroughexperimenting,designingandcreatinghonesthome-cookeddishesthataretruetohervisionfora‘NewGenerationIndianCuisine’.

GitaMistryFoodwaslaunchedin2008topromotehercookingdemonstrationandpresentationskillsandtoprovideprivateandcorporatepartyeventcuisine,basedonher‘NewGenerationIndianCuisine’recipes.Sincewinning‘EatingwithEnemy’GitahasbeenmuchindemandatcorporatefunctionswithcompaniessuchasDeloitteandtakingpartinlivefooddemonstrationsalongsideothertopcelebritychefs.Herrecipeshavefeaturedinnationalmagazinesandnewspapers.Shecontinuestodevelopnewandexcitingdishes,aswellasplanningtolaunchherown-brandrangeofspicetinsandoils.Futureplansincludepublishingherowncookbookandultimatelyareturntotelevisionasafoodpresenter.

Gita Mistry Food

Further information:

Gitasetupherownbusiness,GitaMistryFood,in2008topromotehercookingdemonstrationandpresentationskillsandtoprovideprivateandcorporatepartyeventcatering,basedonher‘NewGenerationIndianCuisine’recipes.

Sincewinning‘EatingwithEnemy’Gitahasbeenmuchindemandmakingpersonalappearancesatrestaurants,supermarketlaunches,foodfairsandcorporatefunctions.Herrecipeshavefeaturedinnationalmagazinesandnewspapers.

Shecontinuestodevelopnewandexcitingdishes,aswellasplanningherown-brandrangeofspicetinsandoilsforretail.Futureplansincludepublishingacookbook,openingherownrestaurantandultimatelyareturntotelevisionasafoodpresenter.

Bookings and Events: e: bookings@gitamistryfood.co.uk

About Gita Mistry: www.gitamistryfood.co.uk

Media:e: pr@gitamistryfood.co.uk

Business:e: buiness@gitamistryfood.co.uk