Atul Kochhar Biography
Atul Kochhar is a British based chef, entrepreneur and celebrity of Indian origin. He is a popular figure on television for his shows and is a restaurateur who runs Benares restaurant in London since 2007. Atul is highly praised for his modern take on Indian cuisine and is appreciated in Britain. Atul was the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star. A regular guest on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, Atul has also launched his television show - Atul’s Spice Kitchen: Malaysia.
Atul was born in Jamshedpur in 1969. He started his career as a chef in 1989 at the age of 20 at The Oberoi group of hotels in India. He worked for next five years with Oberoi group till 1994. One year prior to it, he was promoted to the five star deluxe Oberoi hotels in New Delhi, where he served as a Sous Chef in one of the five restaurants, supervising his team of chefs. In 1994 he joined restaurant of renowned chef Bernard Kunig, where he worked till January 2001. At the age of 31, he awarded a Michelin star, the first Indian chef to receive this honour. In 2002, he joined Marks and Spencer’s as a consultant chef on Indian diets.
In 2007, he opened Benares Restaurant and Bar in London, one of the finest restaurants on Indian food in the city. Its menus with modern Indian cuisine with a delicate use of spices made it a great success. In 2008 Atul opened his first restaurant in Ireland, Ananda followed by Vatika Restaurant located in Southampton and a restaurant on P&O’s cruise ships. In 2013, he opened Rang Mahal in Dubai's JW Marriott Marquis Hotel. He has received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from University of Southampton.
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Updated: December 06, 2015