Cyrus Todiwala expands Café Spice Namaste into event catering with new partnership

The partnership has already begun with a number of high-profile events being catered for by Café Spice Namaste and Moving Venue including the first lunch in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Tour last month.

Indian executive chef Todiwala cooked the 'Country Captain’, an Indian-inspired shepherd's pie, for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at an event at Walthamstow Town Hall; a dish Todiwala then showcased on the BBC1 TV show Saturday Kitchen.

Moving Venue

The more formal move into events catering will see Café Spice Namaste delivering events platters combining the traditional Indian cuisine with British produce it is known for alongside the logistical expertise of Moving Venue which was formed 25 years ago.

Speaking after an official reception at Café Spice Namaste for the launch Todiwala said he and restaurateur Pervin were very happy with the formal working relationship with Moving Venue. "They are highly polished and professional, with all the service standards and values that match us perfectly. Not only that, but they are really fun to work with."

"It’s perfect – they give us the logistical breadth and expertise that will allow us to concentrate on what Café Spice Namaste is great at, which is providing good, authentic and quite imaginative pan-Indian food," Todiwala said. 

Richard Beggs, managing director of Moving Venue which already works with venues including the Banqueting House and the Guildhall said: "It’s all very exciting. The synergy of Moving Venue’s logistical expertise and Café Spice Namaste’s rich, authentic culinary history offers an extraordinary partnership and new product offer to our clients and the venue’s clients where we work."

Café Spice Namaste

Todiwala's East London restaurant was founded sixteen years ago by Cyrus and his wife Pervin. It specialises in Parsee and pan-Indian dishes from Goa, North India, Hyderabad and Kashmir using seasonal British ingredients and produce including venison tikka, Vindalho with British pork and sides featuring asparagus, cabbage and squash.

Bombay-born Todiwala, who was awarded an OBE for services to the hospitality industry in 2010, also runs Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen at the Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 hotel which opened last year  and is behind an eponymous range of chutneys and pickles.