Nisha Katona

Nisha Katona, MBE (born 23 October 1971) is a British restaurateur and TV personality.

The daughter of two doctors, she is the founder of Mowgli Street Food restaurants and the Mowgli Trust charity, a food writer and television presenter.

She was a child protection barrister for 20 years.

Katona worked full-time as a child protection barrister for 20 years on the Northern Circuit.

She qualified as a barrister at the Inns of Court School of Law in 1996, and is a member of Lincoln's Inn.

Katona worked full-time as a barrister in Chavasse Court Chambers in Liverpool.

In 2008, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport appointed her a trustee of National Museums Liverpool and in 2009 she was appointed Ambassador for Diversity in Public Appointments by the Cabinet Office.

She then switched to teaching about Indian cuisine.

She founded Mowgli Street Food restaurants in the UK, and also founded and chairs the Mowgli Trust, which donates over £500,000 to local and world charities every year.

Katona is the author of six cookbooks: Pimp My Rice, The Spice Tree, The Mowgli Street Food: Authentic Indian Street Food, The 30-Minute Mowgli, Meat Free Mowgli and Bold. She regularly appears on television and radio, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Food Network and Radio 4's programme The Kitchen Cabinet.

On 1 January 2022, Katona was appointed chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University.

She is the first alumna of the university to become chancellor and replaces Sir Brian Leveson who became emeritus chancellor.

In July 2021, Katona was selected to join the newly formed Hospitality Council, a team of leading industry experts assembled to deliver the government’s Hospitality Strategy.

The strategy aims to help hospitality firms to re-open, recover and become more resilient following the COVID pandemic.

Katona grew up in Ormskirk.

She studied at Scarisbrick Hall School and then read law at Liverpool John Moores University, where she met her future husband, Zoltán Katona.

In 2008, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport appointed her as a trustee of National Museums Liverpool where she sat on the full board, along with audit and marketing.

In 2009, the Cabinet Office appointed her Ambassador for Diversity in Public Appointments.

Katona films regularly for the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and The Food Network.

Appearances have been on Lorraine, Sunday Brunch, Secret Chef, My Kitchen Rules, My Spice Kitchen and her own Indian food travelogue for the BBC, Recipes that made me.

She regularly appears as a guest chef on This Morning, guest panelist on The Kitchen Cabinet on BBC Radio 4, and on both BBC News and Sky News as a guest expert on matters relating to business and hospitality.

On 14 February 2021, a 10-part culinary travel series presented by Katona called A Taste of Italy was premiered on Channel 4 and More 4.

On 16 March 2021, she was a guest judge in the semi-final of Interior Design Masters, in which the designers made over a pair of restaurants in Hebden Bridge.

On 13 July 2021, Katona was one of the professional chefs on ITV's Cooking with the Stars.

In the six-part series, she trained her celebrity partner, Harry Judd, in preparing dishes which were then judged.

In the final episode, Judd was named the winner.

On 10 August 2021, Katona appeared as a guest chef on BBC 1's Masterchef, challenging four celebrities to cook an Indian recipe from her menu.

On 6 September 2021, it was announced that Katona would be one of the members of the new judging panel of Great British Menu joining the former champion Tom Kerridge and the comedian and food podcaster Ed Gamble.