Vivek Singh (chef)

Singh was raised in a coal-mining community in West Bengal, India, where his father worked as an engineer. He attended St. Patrick’s Higher Secondary School in Asansol.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Singh studied at the Institute of Hotel Management, IHM Pusa in New Delhi from 1990 to 1993. In 1993, he was selected for the Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development, training at the Maidens Hotel and Oberoi flight services.{{Citation Needed|date=March 2025}}

After completing his training in 1995, Singh was appointed to the Oberoi Flight Services in Mumbai. He later worked at the Oberoi Grand in Kolkata, and oversaw operations at Gharana, a restaurant specializing in royal Indian cuisine.{{cite news |title=About Chef Vivek Singh |url=http://www.redhotcurry.com/profiles/vivek_singh.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305034826/http://www.redhotcurry.com/profiles/vivek_singh.htm |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |newspaper=Redhotcurry News}}

In 1998, he became the Indian chef at Rajvilas in Jaipur, where he met Iqbal Wahhab. A discussion between them about applying French cooking techniques to Indian cuisine led to the establishment of Singh’s first restaurant in London.{{cite news |title=A creative use of spice |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/3308681/A-creative-use-of-spice.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}

Singh co-founded The Cinnamon Club in London in 2001, his first restaurant in the UK. Since then, he has opened several restaurants under the Cinnamon brand.

In 2015, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick for his contributions to Indian cuisine in the UK.{{cite press release |title=Vivek Singh receives(sic) Honorary Doctorate of Letters |date=23 January 2015 |url=http://www.cinnamon-kitchen.com/news/pressrelease/chefviveksingh-recieves-honorary-degree-2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206170215/http://www.cinnamon-kitchen.com/news/pressrelease/chefviveksingh-recieves-honorary-degree-2015 |archive-date=6 February 2015 |website=Cinnamon Kitchen}}{{cite press release |title=Ballet, opera, TV, WMD and tropical medicine all feature in latest honorary degrees announced by University of Warwick |date=8 January 2015 |url=https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/ballet_opera_tv/ |website=University of Warwick}}

File:Spiced Grouse by Chef Vivek Singh.jpg

In 2001, Singh opened his first Indian restaurant, The Cinnamon Club, in London.{{Cite web |title=About Us {{!}} Modern Indian Cinnamon Club |url=https://cinnamonclub.com/about-us/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=Cinnamon Club Full |language=en-GB}} The Cinnamon Club has been listed as one of the "Best Indian Restaurants"{{cite web|title=Best Indian restaurants in London|url=http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/selection/96/Best_Indian|publisher=Squaremeal.co.uk}} by the SquareMeal food guide in London, UK.

File:The Old Westminster Library.jpg

Upon the opening of his second restaurant, Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise, in 2008, food critic Fay Maschler described Vivek Singh as "a gifted cook creating striking and exciting dishes".{{cite web|last=Maschler|first=Fay|title=Evening Standard restaurant review of Cinnamon Kitchen|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/striking-dishes-at-cinnamon-kitchen-7411347.html|work=London Evening Standard|access-date=26 November 2008}}

In 2012, Singh opened his third restaurant, Cinnamon Soho, and published his fourth cookbook, Cinnamon Kitchen: The Cookbook. Guy Dimond, a food critic at Time Out, remarked that "Singh is a master of flavor" and is "highly innovative".{{cite web|last=Dimond|first=Guy|title=Food review of Vivek's cooking at Cinnamon Soho|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/cinnamon-soho|work=Time Out|access-date=5 April 2012}}

The restaurant opened in Covent Garden in 2016. In 2017, it was listed in the Bib Gourmand, which noted it "[offering] both high-quality food and good value for money [...]"{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/michelin-guide-2018-nine-london-restaurants-have-gained-bib-gourmands-from-michelin-a3647026.html|title=Cinnamon Bazaar received a Bib Gourmand from Michelin|date=29 September 2017|website=London Evening Standard}}

File:Afternoon tea by Vivek Singh.jpg

The fifth restaurant in the Cinnamon Collection opened in 2017. This was Singh's first restaurant in the UK located outside of London.File:Indian food with British twist.jpg

In 2006, Singh was invited to Hangar 7 in Salzburg, Austria, where he collaborated with Chefs Eckart Witzigmann and Roland Trettl.{{cite web|title=Culinary Trip|url=http://www.interspot.at/data/culinary_trip_around_the_world.pdf|publisher=interspot.at}}

In 2007, Singh helped recreate an Indian-inspired sausage based on Daljit Singh's childhood memories.{{cite web|title=Britains first spicy Bangras 'Gourmet Sausages'et|url=http://www.fdin.org.uk/2010/07/mr-singh%E2%80%99s-bangras-is-britans%E2%80%99s-first-gourmet-range-of-spicy-indian-sausages/}}

In 2011, Singh was invited to Gourmet Abu Dhabi to showcase modern Indian cuisine.{{cite news|title=Gourmet Abu Dhabi 2011|url=http://www.rotanatimes.com/beachrotana/offers/237|newspaper=Rotana Times}} He was also a guest speaker on Maharaja Express "A passage through India" with Allan Jenkins.{{cite web|last=Jenkins|first=Allan|title=A passage through India on Maharaja Express|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/17/india-vivek-singh-cinnamon-club|work=The Observer|date=16 April 2011|access-date=16 April 2011}}

The following year, Singh was invited to New York City for a week-long pop-up event at Desmond's NYC.{{cite news|title=Vivek goes to NewYork in 2012|url=http://www.hg2magazine.com/spice-goes-stateside-with-vivek/|access-date=17 January 2012|newspaper=H2G Magazine}}

In 2008, Singh became an ambassador for Wooden Spoon, a rugby charity supporting underprivileged children. Singh collaborated with former rugby union players Jason Leonard, Martin Offiah, Lee Mears and Nick Easter to raise funds through an event called Scrum Dine With Me.{{cite news|title=Scrum Dine With Me|url=http://eatoutmagazine.co.uk/cinnamon-kitchen-hosts-scrum-dine-me-charity-event|access-date=17 September 2009}}

Singh has worked with Action Against Hunger since 2002, hosting an annual Diwali Charity Event in their aid.{{cite news|title=Vivek Singh supports Action Against Hunger Charity|url=http://www.slowfood.org.uk/all-chefs/vivek-singh/|newspaper=Slowfood.org.uk}} He also supports Find Your Feet and participates in yearly campaigns to raise awareness through the Curry for Change campaign.{{cite web|title=Curry for change by Find Your Feet Charity|url=http://www.menumagazine.co.uk/archive/may2012/povertcharity.html|publisher=Mood Food}} Singh works with The Prince's Trust charity, Mosaic Network,{{cite news|title=Prince's Seeing is Believing with Prince Charles|url=http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/princes-seeing-believing/2012-visit-reports/gatehouse_bank|access-date=26 March 2019|website=Business in the Community|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413131655/http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/princes-seeing-believing/2012-visit-reports/gatehouse_bank|archive-date=13 April 2014}} which aims to inspire young people from deprived communities to realize their talents and potential. Other supported charities include the Asian Restaurants Skills Board, which aims to attract new talent to the Indian restaurant sector through college courses, work experience placements, and apprenticeships.{{cite news|title=Asian Restaurant Skills Board with Eric Pickles|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-support-for-star-indian-chefs-of-the-future|access-date=15 October 2012}}

In 2008, Singh created a dish for Virgin Media, which the company claimed was the world's hottest, to promote a new Bollywood movie channel. The claim generated debate, as other curry house owners disputed it. Singh commented that while the dish was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records,{{cite news|title=World's Hottest Curry in Guinness Book of World Records|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2279428/Worlds-hottest-curry-title-claimed-by-Bollywood-Burner.html|access-date=10 July 2008|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}} measuring the "hottest" curry was subjective. The dish was named The Bollywood Burner.{{cite news|title=Curry Hell to rival the Bollywood Burner|url=http://old.thesouthasiantimes.info/node/480|newspaper=The South Asian Times}}

In May 1997, Singh married Archana in Bilaspur, India. They have two children: Eshaan (born October 2001) and Maya (born July 2006). Singh resides with his wife and two children in South London. {{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

• {{cite book|title=The Cinnamon Club Cookbook|year=2003|publisher=Absolute Press|isbn=9781904573012}}
• {{cite book|title=The Cinnamon Club Seafood Cookbook|year=2007|publisher=Absolute Press|location=London UK|isbn=978-1904573418}}
• {{cite book|title=Curry, Classic & Contemporary 3rd book by Vivek Singh|year=2008|publisher=Absolute Press|location=London|isbn=978-1904573883}}
• {{cite book|last=Walker |first=Chrissie |title=Contribution in Capital Spice |year=2012|publisher=Absolute Press |location=London |isbn=978-1906650728}}
• {{cite book |title=Cinnamon Kitchen The Cookbook by Vivek singh |year=2012 |publisher=Absolute Press |location=London |isbn=978-1906650803}}
• {{cite book |title=Cinnamon Club: Indian Cuisine Re-invented by Vivek Singh, Abdul Yaseen & Hari Nagaraj |year=2011 |location=India |isbn=978-8184001143|author1=Singh |last2=Yaseen |first2=Vivek |last3=Nagaraj |first3=Abdul |author4=Hari }}
• {{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Vivek |title=Spice at Home |date=27 January 2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury |location=London, UK |isbn=9781472910905 |url=http://www.viveksingh.co.uk/newsandevents/vivek-singhs-new-cookbook/}}
• {{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Vivek |title=Indian Festival Feasts |publisher=Bloomsbury |location=London, UK |isbn=9781472938473 |url=http://www.viveksingh.co.uk/newsandevents/indian-festival-feasts/|year=2017}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{official|http://www.viveksingh.co.uk/}}
• [http://www.cinnamon-kitchen.com Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise]
• [http://cinnamon-bazaar.com/ Cinnamon Bazaar]
• [https://www.channel4.com/programmes/my-kitchen-rules/on-demand/66083-039 My Kitchen Rules] – Episode 39 (Channel 4), with guest judge Vivek Singh

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Vivek}}

Category:1971 births

Category:Living people

Category:Chefs of Indian cuisine

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Category:English television chefs

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Category:Indian emigrants to the United Kingdom

Category:Indian cookbook writers

Category:People from Asansol

Category:British cookbook writers