Bookshelfie: Romy Gill

Bookshelfie: Romy Gill

From Bookshelfie: Women’s Prize Podcast by Women’s Prize Podcast/ Bird Lime Media

April 21, 2026 · 53 min · Season 9 · Episode 7

About this episode

Romy Gill shares her journey as a first-generation immigrant and her culinary inspirations with host Vick.

Chef, broadcaster, and food and travel writer, Romy Gill, tells Vick about her experience as a first generation immigrant to the UK, the food that punctuated the 24 hour train journeys of her childhood, and how Nigella Lawson’s cookbooks inspired her own writing. Born in West Bengal, India, Romy first learned to cook from her mother – famous for her aloo parathas and using every unloved scrap of plants and vegetables long before zero-waste became a trend. Romy moved to the UK in 1993, and began her cooking career hosting dinner parties and running cookery classes before opening her own restaurant, Romy’s Kitchen, in Gloucestershire. Since then, she has released her debut cookbook Zaika - Vegan Recipes from India which was followed by On the Himalayan Trail: Recipes and Stories from Kashmir to Ladakh . This second book wove personal essays, travel photography and explored the history of the region through its food and culinary traditions. Her most recent cookbook Romy Gill’s India - Recipes from Home features family recipes that celebrate her Bengali and Punjabi roots. In addition to her writing, Romy is a much-loved presence on radio and TV, regularly appearing on BBC Radio 4’s…

People in this episode

Host: Vick

Guest: Romy Gill

Topics covered

  • immigration
  • cooking
  • food writing
  • Indian cuisine
  • personal stories
  • cookbooks

Keywords

  • Romy Gill
  • cooking
  • immigrant experience
  • Nigella Lawson
  • cookbooks
  • Indian food
  • food writing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Radio 4, Celebrity Masterchef, Ready Steady Cook

Books & works: The God of Small Things, The Namesake, The Safekeep, How to Eat, Managing Expectations

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