Self-taught chef and entrepreneur Karen Anand was in Kolkata to launch a new range of products under her brand, KA Gourmet. And what better occasion than to have her to share her culinary journey with the discerning ladies of Glenburn Culture Club? So in stepped chef Shaun Shaun Kenworthy, guide, mentor and a familiar name in Kolkata’s hospitality scene, at the elegant Glenburn Penthouse on Russell Street. Together the two brewed a conversation as smooth as a cup of first flush, and as fiery as a spoonful of KA Gourmet’s Chilli Garlic Oil.
In picture: Karen Anand and Shaun Kenworthy in conversation at Glenburn Culture Club’s Sunday evening event
Karen, who grew up in the UK where her family was settled, found her return to India to be purely coincidental. “Around the time I graduated, my grandmother in India fell ill, and since I was the ‘vela’ one in the family, I was sent to check on her. Then I met Mr Anand… and ended up staying on!” she said.
In picture: Karen treated the audience to a live cooking session, presenting two dishes from her new range of sauces, jams and dressings under the KA Gourmet label
Back in the 1980s, European cuisine in Mumbai was a rarity, limited mostly to the Taj group of hotels. Spotting a gap where she could put her culinary knowledge honed in Paris to good use, Karen took the leap into bringing European flavours to India. Alongside, writing became a passion but as every good writer rues, passion alone doesn’t pay the bills. So, she ventured further, becoming the first to introduce the concept of farmers’ markets in India.
In picture: The audience lends a keen ear
Shaun arrived in India in 2000 and thanks to Rohit Khattar (the man behind Indian Accent among other great restaurants), spent a year at India Habitat Centre, Delhi. His plan was to return home, but 9/11 changed everything. Instead, he joined The Park Kolkata as executive chef, where he met his model-wife Pinky and the rest, as they say, is history.
In picture: Husna-Tara Prakash graciously introduced the speakers and was the perfect host for the evening, and (right) Karen and Shaun speak to a packed venue
“Back then, ingredients we now take for granted, like iceberg lettuce, were simply unavailable. The only raw salad on restaurant menus was kachumber, and sushi was being bastardised across India,” Shaun recalled.
In picture: Long before Spencers and Nature’s Basket entered the scene, Richie Modi (in picture) and Meena Chhaochharia, co-founders of Shree Ram International, were among the pioneers in importing exotic ingredients — supplying the city’s who’s who with a taste of the world
Karen — whose career, ironically, took off with The Salad Bar in Mumbai — echoed his thoughts on how dramatically the food landscape has evolved. “Mushrooms were once available at just two locations in Mumbai — if you cooked with them, you were practically a queen! Now, it’s available at every dhaba.”
In picture: Mrs. Chaddha (left) and a fellow Glenburn Culture Club member take in the aroma of the brine for the chicken marinade during the cookout
With salads around, can dressings be far behind? “At The Salad Bar, someone once said, ‘I love this dressing, why don’t you put it in a jar?’ and that’s how KA Gourmet was born,” she added. Things only got jammin’ from there as her jam business flourished, leading to a full circle moment on Sunday as Karen relaunched KA Gourmet, bringing back 12 best-sellers from the original list of 45 products.
In picture: Karen’s range of KA Gourmet products, available on Amazon and Nature’s Basket outlets
As the chat was thrown open to the members of Glenburn Culinary Culture Club, a Mrs Chaddha nee Banerjee popped a question, “Can you start a business at 60?”
The right answer? Like aged cheese, cured meat or miso paste, the best things in life only get richer with time.
In picture: Tomato & Cheese Sandwiches served at the event and (top) Labneh prepared by Karen with a drizzle of her Chilli Garlic Oil
