Launching Desi Food Guide
It's time to hit the road again
I am a journalist who writes for BBC Culture, Pellicle and Vittles. I was named Beer Writer of the Year in 2023 by the British Guild of Beer Writers.
I’m offering my book, Desi Pubs, at Amazon prices. I can have it sent to you very quickly for £12.29! Message me on Bluesky for copies. There’s a review of it here.
Disclaimer: this newsletter often mentions beer and pubs. You do not have to read this if your life has been affected by substance abuse.
Since my book on desi pubs was published, hundreds and hundreds of readers embarked on a journey of discovery. People who had never had grills, giant naans or tikka pieces in a pub before realised what exactly they had been missing and seeing their glowing messages and photos was a heart-warming experience for me.
And those who already visited desi pubs were moved by how their culture was finally being celebrated - one white West Bromwich Albion football fan told me he cried when he read it.
The intention was to get people to unearth desi culture for themselves but the travelling they undertook meant they also started to find out more about this country. And - despite all the recent upheaval and awfulness - fall back in love with Britain again. When you visit Asian areas, such as Smethwick, Southall and Harrow, you realise we can be better as a diverse nation and be the type of society that celebrates all cultures.
Not everyone travelled far and wide but many started in Borough at the Gladstone, the only desi pub in London’s Zone 1. In fact, it became a hotspot and every day the publicans, Meg and Gaurav, would see a new face telling them how much they loved my book and how they just had to visit. Their enthusiasm was greeted with mutual warmth by the siblings and now the Glad has more and more regulars with revellers spilling out into the streets.
The book was published in 2023 and the clamour for a second edition is huge. While I don’t have any news on when the next guide to 80-odd new pubs will be commissioned, there is still cause for celebration.
Those areas (and beyond) which have been enriched by desi culture will be revisited in my Desi Food Guide which I am launching next week. This weekly newsletter will not only feature pubs but also food vans, cafes, restaurants and takeaways. But most importantly it will be interview-led like my book and will tell the stories behind the meals, who eats them and the surrounding desi culture.
I guess the best way to sum it up is to use the words of the one bad review of my book posted on Amazon.
“I was expecting a guide to the best Indian pubs serving real ale and authentic south Asian food, but instead it’s a [sic] more of a lecture on history and racism.”
Desi Food Guide will look at the people just as much as the food. While 90% of posts will feature Asian food, it will also feature Asians who cook all sorts of cuisines. Yes, there will be great recommendations every week but collectively these posts will be another celebration of what makes Britain great in 2025.
Read the stories. Eat the food. Enrich your life.
Here’s an extract:
The tikka pieces are almost burnt, crispy on the outside but delicately soft in the middle, while masala chips have a zesty coating of ginger and cumin. I’m a complete fan boy for the mint chutney that doesn’t scrimp on the fire - imagine a Nelson Muntz ‘ha! ha!’ if you thought this was a green coolant.
And then the masala chips have that sour edge (possibly the amchoor, AKA mango powder) that sometimes can be cloying in this mix but here we have the ‘Bharat Patel balance’ of his perfect spicing quantities.
Launching on Tuesday, the weekly newsletter will be free for the first four editions. After that, Desi Food Guide will be available to paid subscribers for £5/month or £50/year - have a look at the first four and if you like them sign up for more!