Anjula Devi discusses her role as Chef at Anjula Devi Authentic Indian Cooking School and her own inspirations with regards to pursuing a career as a Chef.
Name:Anjula Devi
Place of work: Anjula Devi Authentic Indian Cooking School
Bio:Anjula is one of the UK’s most celebrated Indian chefs, founder of her eponymous cooking school, a champion of authentic and traditional Indian cooking, Brand Ambassador for the world’s largest Indian food company TRS Foods, winner of a prestigious BBC Good Food Bursary award and founder of her own brand – ‘Route 207’.
Chef Skills
Anjula Devi takes us through her personal experiences whilst being in the Culinary Industry. These key skills that young Chefs and industry professionals learn as part of their basic training.
How long have you been in this role?
I founded my own cooking school and Indian food business just over three years ago. In that time I have had a lot of fun, and learned a huge amount about running my own business. Recently I was honoured to be appointed as a guest chef at Leiths School of Food and Wine.
What do you find most rewarding about teaching?
I absolutely love spending time with Indian food enthusiasts (and to be honest, people who simply love food). It gives me a great buzz when I can show them a new cooking technique or recipe which they have never seen before, or when we work with an ingredient which they haven’t used before. For me it’s all about teaching people to make authentic Indian dishes which they can replicate; so it’s a great feeling when I get a call or e-mail excitedly telling me that a client has successfully recreated a dish at home.
What are your ultimate top five tips for someone looking to start a career in the industry?
My top five tips for the first few years in this industry would be:
1. Follow your food passion.
2. Try to spend most of your time and energy doing what you do best.
3. Seek out and learn everything you can from those who inspire you most.
4. The harder you work the more successful you are likely to be.
5. Continually search for your point of difference and personal identity as a chef. Over the course of time, it is the last one of these (your point of difference and personal identity) which can really set you apart from the rest.
How important would you say further education is in this industry?
I have learned in life that there are many different ways to be successful. What is most important is your appetite for learning. Each day really is ‘a school day’ in this industry, so I encourage you to start every day with this approach.
What are you looking out for on a CV or in an interview if someone was applying to work with you?
Of course, there are some basics – a CV should be well formatted and show relevant experience. What really creates an impact for me, is if someone can show their appetite and passion for learning new things and successfully taking on new experiences.
What would you advise for someone looking to follow in your footsteps?
My number one piece of advice is ‘be yourself and don’t follow the crowd’.
If you could go back and do anything differently would you?
If I had my time over again, I would have founded my own business much earlier. I definitely have made mistakes, but each one has made me even more determined.
Any other tips from a cookery school perspective?
Enjoy spending time with different people. Every single person you meet can teach you something valuable, so teach and learn with a smile on your face.
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.