Meet the Northampton chef who has dedicated the last decade to making Indian food accessible to all

Meet the Northampton chef who has dedicated the last decade to making Indian food accessible to all, after launching her cookery school in the town.

Anita Chipalkatty is the founder of HobbyCooks Cookery School, in which she runs masterclasses, demonstrations, courses and supper clubs to share her knowledge and experience with others.

Having attended a number of esteemed food festivals over the years – as well as being the lead chef at last year’s Silverstone Food Festival – Anita is proud to have continued building on what she first established in 2013.

Anita and her family first moved to the town 11 years ago from Windsor. With her second child about to start attending nursery, Anita wanted to “find a purpose” and use her time at home to its full potential.

“It was a game changer for me,” Anita told the Chronicle & Echo. “I loved to host people and start dinner conversations about food stories from back home. People told me I should start something of my own as I had a passion for cooking and teaching.”

Entertaining and hosting for friends and family has always been an important part of Anita’s life, and food and travel are big points of inspiration for her.

She shared that when people travel from the UK to India, it can be a challenge to not have all the resources and ingredients they are used to using at home. A big part of Anita’s work is teaching people how to create delicious Indian meals with simpler ingredients and methods.

When asked to describe HobbyCooks to anyone who has never heard of the cookery school before, the founder said: “Simple, honest food for enthusiasts who want to cook Indian food and learn something new. Everything starts from your own kitchen and home comforts.”

Having worked on establishing her business and brand for more than a decade, Anita shared it has taken “a lot of patience to build trust about what you are passionate about”.

“I’m so pleased it has taken off so well,” she added. “People find me from different modems and ask if I’m still doing it. They think I’m brave as people open and close.

“It’s been challenging but they enjoy what they are taught and are comfortable. It keeps them coming back and suggesting me to others.”

Anita believes it is the “honest cooking” and “stories behind each of the dishes” that keep people coming back for more – as well as the fact there is no expectation to plate meals up like a chef.

All her meals are inspired by experiences, travels, other home chefs and street food she has tried, which Anita believes “binds us” all together.

One challenge the founder has worked hard to overcome over the past decade is “demystifying” Indian food.

“People generalise curry for everything in Indian food,” said Anita. “Curry is not everything. There are other foods you can create without the spice and with other techniques.”

Looking to 2024, an exciting collaboration is set to begin for HobbyCooks and Northampton Museum – as Anita prepares to host masterclasses and supper clubs from March.

She said: “I’ve wanted to do this for quite some time, but when Covid hit we took a step back. Now is the right time. 10 years of confidence has led me to take a leap of faith to do the next thing.”

The founder also looks forward to hosting demonstrations at the Towcester Food Festival in June, and a masterclass on a five-course tasting meal at Bell of Northampton this weekend.

For more information, visit HobbyCooks’ Facebook page here.