Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe for good

At Akshaya Patra UK, we believe that every child deserves a nutritious meal to fuel their learning and development. This belief was recently reinforced with an extraordinary visit from the renowned Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who brought his culinary expertise to our charity kitchen in North London.

During his visit, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor spent time with our dedicated team of chefs, sharing recipes and techniques to enhance the meals we provide. His focus was on creating food that is simple yet nutritious, cost-effective, and flavourful enough to cater to Britain’s diverse palate. Chef Kapoor said,

“It is an important day in my life to visit the first international kitchen of an Indian-origin charity that feeds millions of children for the purpose of education. Here in the UK, there is a lot of food poverty, and the numbers are staggering. Kudos to the dedicated Akshaya Patra UK team for creating a difference. The team here has come up with a unique model to fill the gap in this part of the world.”

To demonstrate his approach, Chef Kapoor prepared a vibrant pasta dish with freshly made sauce, seasonal vegetables, and a crunchy, nutritious salad. His key message? “Good food doesn’t have to be expensive, and nutritious food doesn’t have to taste bad.”

Daniel Adams, CEO of Akshaya Patra UK, said:

“Akshaya Patra has a long history of delivering transformative school meal programmes. It is a sad reality that in a country like the UK, charities like ours are needed to support children’s nutritional needs. We provide meals in after-school clubs as part of our Hot Meals and Homework programme. Here in Watford, our team of cooks is working hard to develop brilliant dishes full of nutrition, and Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s visit, along with his culinary wisdom, will be very beneficial in catering to the diverse British palate.”

Join the fight against hunger

Did you know?

• 4 million children in UK households are affected by food insecurity. (Source: The Food Foundation).
• In the capital London alone, there are over 426,500 children who suffer from hunger. (Source: The Childhood Trust). 

  Akshaya Patra is a 24-year-old, Indian-origin organisation that feeds nearly 2.25 million children daily across India and the UK. Since opening our first UK kitchen in 2020, we have served over 700,000 meals to children in need. Donate today and help us nourish young minds.