Nisha Katona is a former lawyer who has become a chef, restaurateur, and television personality. She is known for her ‘Mowgli’ chain of Indian restaurants and also for her appearances on various television series. Although her name is known across households in the UK and within food industry circles, there are many facts about Nisha Katona that people do not know. Here are some Nisha Katona facts you might find interesting.
Nisha Katona Facts: Her Early and Personal Life
Where Was Nisha Katona Born?
Nisha Katona was born in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England, on 23 October 1971.
Who Is Nisha Katona’s Husband?
Nisha Katona’s husband is Zoltan Katona, a classical Hungarian guitarist. The couple met while Katona was a law student.
Does Nisha Katona Have Children?
Yes, Nisha Katona does have children. She and her husband have teenage twin daughters called India and Tia.
What is Nisha Katona’s Net Worth?
Katona is clearly a successful woman, and many of her fans may ask themselves ‘what is Nisha Katona’s net worth?’ According to Famous Chefs, Nisha Katona’s net worth is approximately $5 million, which is around £3.65 million. She has made her money through her chain of restaurants and television appearances. She has also made money from her cookbooks. Although she has significant wealth, she is not on the list of the richest celebrity chefs, nor is she as wealthy as other British chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay.
Facts About Nisha Katona: Her Career
She is one of the judges on the Great British Menu
A new audience was introduced to Nisha Katona when she became a judge on the Great British Menu in 2022. Her fellow judges on the series are Tom Kerridge and Ed Gambon, and the series is presented by Andi Oliver. Former judges on the series include Prue Leith, Oliver Peyton, Matthew Fort, and Rachel Khoo.
She Has Presented Two Television Series
Katona presented a food travelogue called ‘Recipes That Made Me’ on BBC. Then, in 2021, Nisha Katona presented ‘A Taste of Italy,’ a 10-part culinary travel series on Channel 4 and More 4.
Katona Has Appeared as Guest on Multiple Food Series
Nisha Katona has also appeared as a guest chef on many television series, including Sunday Brunch, My Kitchen Rules, Secret Chef, Lorraine, This Morning, Cooking with the Stars, and My Spice Kitchen. She was also a guest judge on an episode of MasterChef alongside John Torode and Gregg Wallace.
She Has Written Four Cookbooks
In addition to her career as a chef, restaurateur, and television personality, Nisha Katona has also written four cookbooks. Her cookbooks are as follows:
- Mowgli Street Food: Stories and recipes from the Mowgli Street Food restaurants
- The Spice Tree: Indian Cooking Made Beautifully Simple
- Pimp My Rice: Delicious recipes from across the globe
- The 30-Minute Mowgli: Fast Easy Indian from the Mowgli Home
Nisha Katona’s Restaurants
She Opened Her First Restaurant in 2014
Nisha Katona opened her first Mowgli location in Liverpool in 2014. Her daughters helped her to choose the name and the logo for her restaurant.
Katona Now Has 14 Restaurants
A year after launching her restaurant business, Nisha Katona opened her second restaurant, which is on the Corn Exchange in Manchester. She now has 14 restaurants, with a second Liverpool location, another Manchester location, and Indian restaurants in Leeds, Birmingham, Oxford, Nottingham, Sheffield, Cardiff, Preston, Leicester, Ellesmere Port, Cheltenham, and London.
There Are Four More Mowgli Locations Planned
Nisha Katona is further extending her chain of restaurants, as she has four more locations planned for 2022. Now, there are plans to open Mowgli Indian restaurants in Bristol, Brighton, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
Other Interesting Facts
She Was a Barrister Before Entering the Food Industry
One of the Nisha Katona facts that many people do not know was that she was a barrister before she entered the food industry. She specialized in child protection cases, and she worked in law for 20 years before deciding to switch careers to pursue a career in the food industry.
Katona Has Won Multiple Awards
Nisha Katona has won multiple awards, many of which are for her acumen as a businesswoman. She also became an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration at Edgehill University and an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University in 2019. Furthermore, the celebrity chef was awarded an MBE for services to the food industry in the same year.
Did you enjoy reading our Nisha Katona facts?