This is the fourth episode of our Who Run The World? season celebrating women in food.

Today’s guest is Romy Gill, what a treat! Romy is a British-Indian chef and cookery teacher and was the owner and head chef at Romy’s Kitchen in Gloucestershire for 6 years. One of the few female Indian chefs in the industry, Romy was appointed an MBE in the Queen’s 90th birthday honours list in 2016 for her services to the food industry. Romy’s debut cookbook Zaika is full of delicious vegan recipes celebrating the zaika or ‘flavours’ of Indian cooking that bring a renewed spicy excitement to plant-based food.

We talked to Romy about the barriers she came up against as a woman – and more specifically an Indian woman – opening her own restaurant, from securing funding to getting planning permission and dealing with builders. We also talked about the women who have inspired her and helped her along the way, from her mother to Sheila Dillon, Claudia Roden, Delia Smith and Nigella Lawson.

Romy is such an inspiration to women in the food industry and such a pleasure to chat to. We were so excited to hear that she'll be joining the lineup of the new Ready Steady Cook on BBC One and that she has a new opening coming soon.

Hope you enjoy!

This interview is part of our series Who Run The World? Women in Food. Our final episode will air on 8th March International Women’s Day.

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Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Manager: Louisa Cornford

Vocals: Kristine Kruz 

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