COMPETITOR

Avartana

HEAD COOK: Deepti Jadhav

COMPETITION: World Vegetarian Championship

Chef Diptii Jadhav has always loved the culinary arts, a talent she inherited from family and was inspired by her mother’s culinary heritage along with fathers remarkable & innate knowledge of the produce. While initially she went to college of engineering, she quickly decided that she had to pursue what she was naturally gifted at. She knew the work would be hard but she felt she had to find that exit door. So armed with determination and passion, she went back to her roots “Kolhapur”, where her life was about to change forever. Her sister was catalyst to everything she is today but her father understanding her dream mentored her to work in agricultural farms for a year before she could step into professional training so that she could fully explore the possibilities of seasonal & locally grown produce. And on the other hand, her mother made her pursue the concepts of cooking these locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to an unprecedented level. Also, being an Army officer’s daughter always gave her an opportunity to travel & explore different regions and understand how food connected people through cuisines & produce. But the real inspiration hit her during her education at IHM Chennai, where she was exposed to a brand named “Dakshin” for the first time during the period of her industrial training. Where she saw traditions binding with food with such simplicity. That experience created an impact on her mind making her move to the next exit door & open a new door of possibilities at ITC Maratha, Mumbai. In 2015 at ITC Maratha, Mumbai she launched the brand “Local Love” showcasing regional cuisine of Maharashtra, tied up with a Food Sherpa trail for guests. In 2022 the same passion & drive of creating more, she re opened Dakshin Coastal at ITC Maratha, Mumbai. This gave her window to research food through regions & cuisines. Food that carried legacy, indigenous ingredients, traditions & stories married to them. Which in turn helped her with her next big step, where in 2024 she opened “Avartana” at ITC Maratha Mumbai and is now heading the Avartana restaurant at Mumbai.