An Indian home cook who appeared in Jamie Oliver’s latest series will be cooking up a storm for a Ledbury charity this summer.
Suki Pantal, from Malvern, is helping Megan Baker House organise an Indian Gala Night at Ledbury Club to raise funds and help the charity celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Suki was a contestant on Channel 4’s Great Cookbook Challenge, which saw budding cookbook writers pitch their ideas to Jamie Oliver and a panel of judges in the hopes of winning a publishing deal.
“I didn’t make the final round but it was an exhilarating experience for me,” she said. “I got so much encouragement from Jamie and the judges. I wasn’t competing with ayone else, because it’s your idea you are pitching.
“Jamie Oliver was so supportive, so positive and kept telling me ‘you can do it’.
“I never gave up on writing the book. I’m from Delhi originally and it’s full of Indian recipes - food is a very important part of everyday life there.
“The book bridges the gap between the food you’d find in Indian restaurants, street food and the cooking from back home.”
Suki, who teaches people to cook online through her company Suki’s Curries and Spices, said the idea for the Indian Gala Night came about through her friendship with Lee Gough, the charity’s CEO.
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“I’m helping them put the whole evening together,” she said. “I’m supervising the food and putting a menu together with a catering company from Smethwick called Khandani.
“There’ll be a prosecco reception and live cultural entertainment - all very Indian. It’s very exciting. I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’ve never done a gala evening before but I always thought I would and it’s a good fit - the rugby club is a beautiful venue and we’re doing it in the summer so hopefully we’ll be able to have the doors open and have a really lovely night.”
Megan Baker House provides therapy sessions for adults and children with neurological motor disorders using a learning method called conductive education.
Tickets for the Indian Gala Night, which takes place on June 11 at Ledbury Rugby Club, are £50 per person and can be ordered by emailing lee@meganbakerhouse.org.uk
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