“I Will Never Retire, I Will Walk into My Grave”

Chef Atul Kochhar’s unique talent as a twice Michelin starred chef has changed the way people perceive and experience Indian cuisine. Taking inspiration from his native India, while continuously researching regional dishes, Atul has managed to combine his heritage with his love of British ingredients to create a unique and innovative modern Indian cuisine. Since 1994, he has been at the forefront of Indian cuisine, achieving his first Michelin star in 2001.

His contemporary style and love of traditional cooking techniques led him to open his restaurant, Benares, which won him a Michelin star in 2007. Since then, he has opened numerous successful award-winning restaurants including Sindhu in Marlow; Hawkyns in Amersham, and Indian Essence in Kent. In 2018 Atul left Benares to pursue other independent ventures and welcomed the newest edition to his portfolio Kanishka, Mayfair, London in March 2019, and in July 2020, Atul debuted a second Marlow venue, Vaasu. He is currently chef-partner in a newly opened restaurant in Gurgaon, India: SAGA: Cuisines Of India with Food & Beverage Entrepreneur Vishal Anand.

Talking about the start of his business ventures says, Kochhar “My first business venture was Benaras and then Indian essence, Sindhu and then others followed. So, the way Benaras started, when I met two gentlemen while working in Tamarind and they wanted to start a restaurant and I was about to start my own and that’s how our partnership started and lasted from 2003-2018. It’s been a very fruitful journey and I learnt, gained, and achieved a lot during this period.”

His first step to business venture gave impetus to open restaurants outside London. Currently, he is running five restaurants outside the city. 

His mind is always occupied with creativity, which doesn’t leave him with enough space to indulge in financial planning. 

However, managing money was a very difficult task for him and this was one thing that he learnt over years and has mastered it too. “Managing money is the most important part of any business.”

He likes to invest money in people. He says, “When I see the talent and career growth in the person, I reach out and help them and that’s quite fulfilling psychologically and I would say I haven’t failed financially as well. I may not have made a lot of money like a lot of my contemporaries but one big satisfaction I have is that I have helped a lot of people on the way to my success. I love spreading out my risks, so I do invest in shares, some of the properties, and FD.”

Kochhar has a business financial advisor but not for his finances. He adds, “I do it in my sense and I am quite happy and confident where I am.”

He feels that the pandemic has taught him to be a conscious consumer. Moderation of everything is good. “We have to be very careful with what and how we consume. I think senseless consumption is the worst thing we could do. I have always been frugal about everything in my life.” 

Kochhar loves to spend time with his children and explains “that’s one of the precious things of my life.” 

Taking decisions on the investment of money, he goes by his gut feel factor. He explains, “I way it out in my sense, my conscious self. I try to connect with people I am going to be in business with. Location, concept, market study: all these things play an important role and I do take all of them into consideration and take my time to decide what I want to do with it.”

Saving for the future is an essential part of his life. He makes his investments gingerly as it will guide you through and look after you in old age. He states, “Everyone should be conscious about that, young age is something you can take a little rough but old age is something you should work for and make your old age as comfortable as possible.”

He doesn’t see himself retiring anytime soon. He puts it, “As my dad used to say I will walk into my grave. I don’t think I will retire while sitting in the arm chair. I have wanted to work all my life. I want to give every bit I have in me before I leave this world.”