Karen Anand
Award winning Celebrity Chef, Author & TV Host & Gourmet Entrepreneur
Karen Anand is one of India's most respected food writers, culinary experts, television personalities, and restaurant consultants. With a career spanning more than three decades, she has played a pioneering role in shaping India's gourmet food culture through her writing, consulting, media presence, and entrepreneurial ventures. She is the founder of Karen's Gourmet Kitchen, Markets by Karen Anand, and Ks Kitchen, and has advised leading hospitality brands, including contributing to the concept development and menu research for the internationally acclaimed Dishoom restaurants in London. Since beginning her food consultancy career in 1989, Karen has become one of the country's most influential voices in gastronomy and culinary innovation.
An accomplished author and broadcaster, Karen has written 20 books on food, travel, and lifestyle and has hosted several popular television series, including The Good Food Guide, Cook Na Kaho, and a celebrated series on Mumbai's restaurant scene. Her journalism has appeared in leading publications such as BBC Good Food, Good Housekeeping, Condé Nast Traveller, Bombay Times, The Independent, Hindustan Times Brunch, and The Sunday Telegraph. She also authored the annual Times Food Guide for Pune for seven consecutive years, helping shape the city's vibrant culinary landscape.
A passionate advocate for local food ecosystems, Karen co-founded the Pune Farmers' Market in 2012, a pioneering initiative that has expanded to multiple cities across India, connecting consumers with farmers, artisans, and sustainable food producers. Her outstanding contributions to food, culture, and travel have been recognized with prestigious honours, including the Food & Spirit Award (Trophée de l'Esprit Alimentaire) from the French Government and the French Ambassador's Travel Writers Award. As a member of the Honorary Board of Advisors of the Pune Ideas Festival, Karen Anand brings unparalleled expertise in gastronomy, sustainability, entrepreneurship, travel, and the creative economy, enriching the festival's vision of celebrating ideas that inspire innovation, culture, and community.
