I’m a born again foodie! An Alumni of the ‘ 79 batch of the Bombay catering college, I spent 3 years at college realising that this food business was far more complex and interesting than just eating and certainly far more exciting than I ever imagined!! I then spent 5 fabulous years at the Taj Mahal hotel, Bombay, working my backside off at the iconic ‘Shamiana’ and the tourist favourite, the Indian speciality restaurant,Tanjore. Many a shift later I decided I wanted to see life outside the hotel too and left for what can only be described as a chequered career across the music industry, advertising, media, a brewery (I figured I drank enough London Pilsner to qualify for a job with them!!) and finally in eLearning.
My foodie education started on the streets of Bombay, where food (and beverage) was an important part of growing up. My student years were spent hunting down ‘cheap and cheerful’ eating spots with an eye on ‘how much for how little ’ but also for the different, the new and the exciting! From the Iranis and Bade Miyan to restaurants like Nanking, Kamling, Delhi Darbar, the Grillroom at the Ambassador, Thaker’s Bhojanalya and classics like Gourdon and Bombellis, I ate my way across whatever Bombay offered in the ‘70s, 80s and 90s satiating an appetite that wouldn’t quit!
My “born again” moment came with a move to London in the early 2000’s and the Brit capital’s street food explosion, enhanced by Twitter! Suddenly, I was following all things foodie on Twitter, marking them on Google maps and hunting them down at every chance I get! The Twitterati of food is a fantastic community, further enhanced by “Insta” and what has been particularly exciting has been the joy of sharing, collaborating and contributing to the community’s knowledge and passion for food!
Precisely what we believe in, are passionate about and are hoping to achieve with “The Foodie Network”, bringing together foodies from around the world.
Alan is, in his own words, a born again foodie! An Alumni of the 1979 batch of the Bombay catering college, Alan spent the first 5 years after graduating in the hospitality industry, starting with the Taj group of Hotels. Many a shift later, Alan decided he wanted to see life outside the hotel too and left for what can only be described as a chequered career across the music industry, advertising, media, a brewery and finally in eLearning.
Alan lives in London (UK) and is now reconnecting with his first love – food – through the Travel and Food Network.
