Kirkcaldy man wins BBC Family Cooking Showdown

Mitesh Mistry featured on BBC2’s Family Cooking Showdown, hosted by Celebrity MasterChef winner Angellica Bell and Michelin star chef Tommy Banks.

Each week, two teams of three face off, and Team Mistry emerged as the overall winner of series two.

Mitesh, (32) an IT consultant from the Langtoun who now lives in London, entered the contest with his wife Prachi, and his nephew Anup.

Mitesh’s parents still live in Kirkcaldy, and he was able to call on them for recipe ideas.

He said: “It just felt phenomenal. We didn’t go into this competition thinking we were going to win it. We thought ‘let’s at least make a decent account of ourselves.

“We tried to showcase regional Indian cuisine, so things that were cooked in certain states or regions, and just bring those authentic dishes out that they may not have tried.

“It’s such a good experience and even just being part of that journey, we made good friends with the other families that were there. Also just a chance to showcase what you cook at home and getting it critiqued by award-winning chefs. It’s quite a good feeling when you hear the comments coming back at you.

Mitesh says his wife is the main cook in the household so she was keen to bring his skills up to scratch.

Prachi said: “We’re very proud to showcase our family recipes. Everyone brought something to the table in terms of skills. I made sure Mitesh practiced a lot at home so everything went smoothly in the studio.”