Nastaranne Amir-Ahmadi (Nas), 47, was born in Iran and came to the UK with her family in 1970. Growing up in Hampshire, she describes her mother’s passion for food and the important part that preparing and eating meals played in family life as her inspiration, not just for her business, but her own love of cooking.

 “Cooking is very relaxing, and is seen by Middle Eastern and Asian cultures not as a stressful chore, but an enjoyable activity that bonds the entire family.  Even the smallest of children are involved with the preparation of a meal, which can normally take all day.” Nas continues, “I learned to prepare herbs and spices from a very young age, and can remember as a small child the sense of pride when we all sat down later that evening to eat as a family a meal I’d helped my mother prepare.” 

Her passion for multi-cultural cuisine was fuelled as a youngster by family holidays around the world.  Encouraged to try ‘anything and everything’, Nas soon developed an educated palette.  It was natural then, that on leaving school, Nas would study Catering and Hospitality Management, earning her qualifications which then led her to a career initially working in restaurants and professional kitchens both in the UK and abroad.

In her spare time, Nas still travels extensively, and freely admits that whatever she eats when she’s on holiday is likely to appear on the next menu (with a healthy twist!).