Santosh Shah
{{Short description|Nepalese Chef}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Santosh Shah
| image = Santosh-Shah00.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Shah with his book Ayla in front of Nilgiri
| other_names =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 5 November 1985
| birth_place = Karjanha, Siraha District, Nepal
| nationality = Nepalese
| occupation = Chef
| years_active =
| known_for = Promoting Nepalese and Mithila food worldwide.
| notable_works = Finalist in Masterchef UK 'The Professionals' - 2020,
Winner of MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch Special - 2021
Masterjudge of CHEF NEPAL: Country's 1st Food Reality TV Show
Mithila thali janakpur
}}
Santosh Shah is a Nepalese chef based in London, known for competing in the UK's reality cookery TV series BBC MasterChef: The Professionals in 2020.{{Cite news |last=Yogi |first=Bhagirath |date=2020-12-15 |title=MasterChef final is dream come true for Nepal's Santosh Shah |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55302025 |access-date=2020-12-25}} Declared first runner up, Santosh is credited for popularising Nepalese cuisine in the UK and worldwide.{{Cite web |title=Santosh Shah, who has brought Nepali recipes to the world, declared runner up at MasterChef Professionals |url=https://kathmandupost.com/art-culture/2020/12/18/santosh-shah-who-has-brought-nepali-recipes-to-the-world-declared-runner-up-at-masterchef-professionals |access-date=2020-12-25 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}} In 2021, Santosh once again, competed in the UK's BBC MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch and was declared the winner.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-30 |title=MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch winner Santosh Shah makes 18 vegan dishes inspired by a Nepali festival |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/masterchef-the-professionals-rematch-winner-santosh-shah-18-vegan-dishes-nepali-culture-dashain-festival-7697622/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Santosh Shah wins Masterchef: The Professionals Rematch |url=https://kathmandupost.com/food/2021/12/28/santosh-shah-wins-masterchef-the-professionals-rematch |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}}{{Cite web |last=Akinwumi |first=Stella |date=2021-12-27 |title=MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch crowns winner |url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/12/27/who-won-masterchef-the-professionals-rematch-tonight-15830634/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Metro |language=en}}
Early life
Santosh grew up in Karjhana village of Siraha district, a small village outside of Kathmandu. When he was nine, he started working as a labourer digging canals to support his family's financial needs.{{Cite web |date=6 December 2020 |title="You inspire others by learning, not teaching," Santosh Shah |url=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Nepali Times |language=en-US}} When he was 14, he travelled to India for his first culinary job as a dishwasher in a five-star hotel.{{Cite web |last=McCann |first=Jaymi |date=2020-12-17 |title=Who the MasterChef: The Professionals finalists are, and where to find their restaurants |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/masterchef-the-professionals-final-2020-finalists-santosh-bart-alex-restaurants-list-799172 |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Mackertich |first=Joe |title=Get ready for a culinary trip across the Himalayas |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/masterchef-legend-santosh-shahs-nepalese-pop-up-sounds-dope-082421 |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Time Out London |language=en-GB}} It was at this point that Santosh realised his dream of becoming a chef. He worked under Executive Chef and CEO Vivek Singh for over two years, rising through the hospitality ranks in India.{{Cite web |date=2018-04-26 |title=The LaLiT London appoints new Executive Chef Santosh Shah |url=https://www.hospitalityandcateringnews.com/2018/04/lalit-london-appoints-new-executive-chef-santosh-shah/ |access-date=2020-12-25 |website=Hospitality and Catering News |language=en-US}} Santosh received his Diploma in Hotel & Catering Management from the Institute of Baroda, India before travelling to London in 2010.{{Cite web |last=IJzendoorn |first=Patrick van |date=2018-12-04 |title=De Brexit zou de curry redden, maar daar merken deze restauranthouders niets van |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/gs-b9302367 |access-date=2020-12-25 |website=de Volkskrant |language=nl-NL}}
Career
Santosh worked at some of famous Indian restaurants in London including Dishoom and Michelin-starred Benares, before becoming a sous-chef at Chef Vivek Singh’s Westminster hot spot, The Cinnamon Club. Santosh worked at The Cinnamon Club for several years, before eventually becoming Head Chef at its sister restaurant, Cinnamon Kitchen, in the City.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=London chef Santosh hailed as 'people's champion' after losing out in MasterChef: The Professionals |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/santosh-masterchef-professionals-b368425.html |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |website=}}
In 2018 Santosh was appointed at Executive Chef of the five-star LaLit Hotel in London, where he worked until his appearance on MasterChef in 2020.{{Cite web |last=Dinneen |first=Steve |date=2018-09-05 |title=The Weekly Grill: Santosh Shah, executive chef at The LaLiT London, explains how the tandoor oven changed his life |url=https://www.cityam.com/weekly-grill-santosh-shah-executive-chef-lalit-london/ |access-date=2020-12-25 |website=City A.M. |language=en-GB}} He is currently living and working in Nepal owning multiple restaurants brand called Mithila thali and Ayla by santosh shah, he was Head of The Cinnamon Collection.{{Cite web |date=2020-12-11 |title=Chef Santosh Shah enters finals of Master Chef UK: The Professionals |url=http://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/chef-santosh-shah-enters-finals-of-master-chef-uk-the-professionals/ |access-date=2020-12-25 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en-US}}
Media appearances
Santosh first appeared on the UK’s reality cookery TV series MasterChef: The Professionals in 2020. He was runner-up in the series and was dubbed as the "People’s Champion."{{Cite web |date=2020-12-17 |title=MasterChef: Professionals fans praise Santosh as 'people's champion' after tightest ever finale |url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/17/masterchef-professionals-fans-praise-santosh-as-peoples-champion-after-tightest-ever-finale-13770493/ |access-date=2020-12-25 |website=Metro |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-12-18 |title=Chef Santosh declared runner up in Master Chef UK, Alex Webb wins |url=http://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/chef-santosh-comes-as-runner-up-in-master-chef-uk-the-professional/ |access-date=2020-12-25 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en-US}}
In 2021 Santosh competed in MasterChef: The Professionals re-match, where he was declared the winner.
Awards and achievements
- Runner up: BBC's UK MasterChef: The Professionals 2020
- Winner: BBC's UK MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch 2021
- Presidential award from Nepal President for promoting Nepali food to the world 2021{{Cite web |title=Chef Santosh Shah Awarded by the Nepal Government |url=https://www.ihm.edu.np/?tag=chef-santosh-shah-awarded-by-nepal-government |access-date=2022-03-03 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-20 |title=Chef Santosh Shah honoured with Suprabal Janasewa Shree-3rd |url=http://fnwonline.com/chef-santosh-shah-honoured-with-suprabal-janasewa-shree-3rd/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Hospitality, Food & Wine Magazine |language=en-US}}
- The British Curry award for Restaurant Baluchi 2018{{Cite web |last=Brennan |first=Ailis |date=2018-11-27 |title=British Curry Awards 2018: Baluchi and Chilli Tuk Tuk triumph over Michelin-starred competition |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/restaurants/british-curry-awards-2018-winners-a4000696.html |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=www.standard.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Meet Santosh Shah, Executive Chef at the LaLit London |url=https://www.the-shard.com/news-events/news/meet-santosh-shah-executive-chef-at-the-lalit-london |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=www.the-shard.com |language=en}}
- Conde Nast Award for best fine dining 2018{{Cite web |last=Burakowski |first=Leon |title=Travel review: East meets west to form the best at LaLit |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/travel/2020/01/05/travel-review-east-meets-west-to-form-the-best-at-lalit/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Express & Star |language=en}}
BBC’s UK MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch
Santosh won the UK's BBC MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch on 28 December 2021.The show was judged by Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti, and Greg Wallace. Santosh defeated three other contestants, two of them Philli Armitage-Mattin and Bart van der Lee, who also appeared on BBC's UK MasterChef: The Professionals in 2020 with Santosh. Santosh won the title by creating an 18-dish vegan feast inspired by the Dashain festival in Nepal.{{Cite web |last=Budhathoki |first=Bijeesha |date=2021-12-30 |title=Nepali food is on the world tour. It should be more inclusive as it accelerates the trip |url=https://english.onlinekhabar.com/nepali-food-internationalisation.html |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Online Khabar |language=en-GB}}
Cookbook
- Ayla: A Feast of Nepali Dishes from Terai, Hills and Himalayas, DK, {{isbn|978-0241535776}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.chefsantoshshah.com/ Official website]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Santosh}}