Get That Life: How I Became A Successful Chef And Restaurant Owner

​Romy Gill is a UK based chef and owner of Romy's Kitchen. Romy is one of the few Indian women to have received the MBE from the Queen of England for her achievement in the Culinary world. Her secret to success? Work hard and focus on your goals.

I was born and raised in West Bengal, India. For as long as I can remember, I had a strong passion for food and cooking. I remember going to my friends and families homes and I was always interested in how they made their food, which ingredients they used and their unique techniques. I wanted to pursue a Culinary Program in college because I wanted to learn how to cook professional, however my father was completely against that. He believe the culinary world to be very male dominated and that I would not be able to survive, so I ended up studying Arts in college.

I moved to the UK soon after finishing College and quickly realized that the food I was eating was greasy, full of artificial colours and completely unhealthy! I found myself craving healthy, delicious Indian food and knew I could not be the only one wanting good Indian food in UK. That is when the idea of opening my own restaurant came into my head. I saw a gap in the market for healthy, clean Indian food and knew I wanted to fill it. I told my husband that I wanted to open my own restaurant and I am proud to say that I made my dream into a reality.

[pullquote align="C"]I saw a gap in the market for healthy, clean Indian food and knew I wanted to fill it. [/pullquote]

Opening Romy's Kitchen was not easy. It took a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, dealing with tough builders and bankers - it was an emotional roller coaster! But my passion for food and owning my own restaurant kept me going. As they say, hard work always pays off and I have been fortunate enough to be one of the few Indian women to receive a MBE, which is an Order of The British Empire. The MBE is a British honour given to certain individuals for their achievements by the Queen herself. Receiving the MBE was one of the proudest moments of my life because it really strengthen my belief that anything is possible if you put your heart into it. If a small town girl like me can make it, so can you!

I have been very fortunate in this industry and I believe it is my duty to give back. One of my favourite parts of being a chef is using my art to help the community. I help raise funds through my food for different charities such as The Frank Water and Action Against Hunger, which supplies clean drink water in India and food in Bangladesh, Burma and India. I love that my job allows me to help the less fortunate around the world. 

[pullquote align="C"]You have to work a hundred times harder than others to succeed in this field but it is all worth it. [/pullquote]

My advice to anyone that wants to become a chef is to keep following your dreams and do not give up! You have to work a hundred times harder than others to succeed in this field but it is all worth it. Many people will try to bring you down, but you must keep your focus on your goals. With hard work, determination and not taking no for an answer, you are guaranteed to succeed. 

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Get That Life is a weekly series that reveals how successful, talented, creative women got to where they are now. Check back each Friday for the latest interview.​