Dev Biswal, the owner-chef of the highly acclaimed The Cook’s Tale restaurant in Canterbury in England, has praised the Odisha state government initiative to bring overseas tourists to his homeland.
Exhibiting at the tourism trade show, World Travel Market (5th – 7th November) in London as part of the Incredible India! stand, Odisha billed itself as ‘India’s best kept secret’
Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Hon’ble Smt Pravati Parida hosted a ‘Tourism Odyssey’ reception at the St James’s Court Taj Hotel in London, aimed at harnessing the power of the huge Indian diaspora in Britain, to promote the land of their birth.
The move builds on from the ‘Chalo India’ programme launched earlier this year, by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, The scheme allows members of the worldwide Indian diaspora to refer up to 5 of their non-Indian friends to benefit from free e-Tourist Visas via www.indianvisaonline.gov.in.
The initiative struck a resonant chord with Chef Biswal, who launched his own travel company The Cook’s Adventures to lead groups of gastronomes on culinary holidays. He will bring a party to Odisha on 10th January 2025 for a 12-day tour taking in the sights, sounds and tastes of Delhi, Bhubaneswar, the Sula Vineyards in Nashik, shopping trips to evening food markets, and royal Indian whisky, tribal villages of the Simlipal Tiger Reserve and the mangrove forests of the Konark Eco Retreat.
Biswal said: “Having been born in Odisha and then lived in various parts of India, I saw that my place of birth lagged in many aspects. It was like my home state was the last participant when it came to progress. In international forums, I would tell people where I am from and they would be clueless. I am a proud Odiya. We have a rich heritage that goes back centuries. From my perspective, the goal of unravelling India’s best kept secret is extremely personal. My dream is to tell the whole world about Odisha and Odiya people.”
After making her speech at the Chef Biswal spoke to Smt Pravati Parida who was keen to ensure the tour included the tiger reserve and tribal villages within the forest.
Biswal told the Deputy Minister that for him the only way to understand a country’s cultural history is through its food and meeting the people who produce it and that he was really looking forward to showing holiday makers the area where he grew up and introducing them to some amazing characters.
“Because we are passionate about food, travel and supporting local businesses – our tours and experiences are designed to showcase the best of each destination, visiting local markets, guides and food producers, with an intimacy that you won’t get with the mass tourism of large-scale travel companies,” added Biswal.
Dev Biswal is also involved with International Culinary Guides www.internationalculinaryguides.com which works with tourist authorities, major hotel groups and international airlines to run chef competitions, awards ceremonies and regional and national restaurant/culinary guides. These involve bringing a delegation of top UK restaurant critics, food and travel writers to the region, He hopes to persuade the Odisha authorities to commission such a project to raise the profile of State’s among wealthy gastro tourists. Biswal; also hopes to entice Indians to the UK for his Canterbury Experiences which offers tailored ‘culinary pilgrimages’, taking in the local area’s beautiful countryside, working closely with local partners and Visit Canterbury tourist office. Details aT www.thecookstale.co.uk/experiences
The restaurant name pays homage to the character of apprentice Perkyn Revelour, in Geoffrey Chaucer’s C14th ‘Canterbury Tales’ anthology, who is “rather fond of wine, women and song”.
Dev Biswal grew up in Orissa, was educated in Calcutta and trained at the Dubai Sheraton, before moving to London, aged 26 in 2003 for spells at Mangoes and Eriki. He became a partner in The Indian Princess in Margate in December 2006, becoming patron in 2010. His restaurant is recommended by all the country’s top restaurant guides, including Michelin, AA, Good Food and Harden’s. Dev was the resident chef on Channel 4 TV’s ‘Superscrimpers’, showing how to prepare gourmet meals on a budget. Other awards have included. ‘Best Restaurant’ at the coveted Taste of Kent Awards; ‘Best Indian Restaurant’ by Morrisons magazine; ‘Best Restaurant in the South East’ by the Cobra Good Curry Guide. He was named Asian Chef of the Year at the Asian Restaurant Awards in 2019
The Cook’s Tale, 14-15 Beer Cart Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2NY, United Kingdom.
T: + 44 (0)1227 200 777 www.thecookstale.co.uk
Author: George Shaw
Former BBC journalist and founder and CEO of an award-winning London advertising and PR company for 20 years, providing restaurant consultancy services. Spent a decade as the director of communications of the Asian Catering Federation in the UK and lead judge for its various restaurant and chef awards programmes. Now returned to journalism, specialising in food and travel and currently the Editor-in-Chief for Taste London, Taste Asia, the Good Curry Guide and CEO of International Culinary Guides.