Sanjeev Kapoor (Chef) Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sanjeev Kapoor

• Sanjeev Kapoor belongs to a family of bankers in Ambala.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor with his family

• He was a bright student and consistently ranked in the top 5 in his school.

• Sanjeev chose Sanskrit over Hindi in class 9 and was the only student in his class to do so. Despite being called by the principal to change his choice, he remained committed to Sanskrit as he knew he could score well in it. His decision proved right as he made it to the merit list.

• He opted for Biology as his main subject in matric as he wanted to become a doctor. Sanjeev, however, dropped the idea after an incident where he forgot to label a diagram in excitement, and his teacher’s reaction made him dislike biology. Sanjeev talked about this in an interview and said,
  

  We were asked to draw an electron microscope. I had done a brilliant job and was very excited about it – but in the process, I forgot to label the parts. When I gave it to the teacher, I expected him to be impressed. Instead, he took a thick red pen and wrote ‘label it’ across the drawing. That put me off completely and I said, “I won’t study biology.” Otherwise, I would have become a top doctor, I guarantee you.”

• His friend Jasmit Singh aka Sunny changed his luck by advising him to fill out the form for hotel management, which turned out to be the right decision.

• After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management Catering & Nutrition, Pusa, New Delhi, he joined the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) Hotel in Delhi as a management trainee. After two years, he was posted in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, as a trainee.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor at the ITDC Hotel in Delhi

• Sanjeev was on a train to Varanasi with his colleague Vandana when he met Alyona, Vandana’s sister. When Alyona felt cold during the journey, Sanjeev held her hands to keep her warm. This moment led both of them to fall in love with each other.

• Within two months of starting as a trainee in Varanasi, Sanjeev impressed the general manager so much that he was appointed as the head chef; he worked as the head chef while still undergoing training.

• Later, ITDC sent him to New Zealand to work on opening an Indian restaurant. Although the general manager was present there, Sanjeev was entrusted with managing everything. He also helped the company open an African restaurant there for which he was given the cheque signing authority.

• While working in New Zealand, Sanjeev exchanged letters with Alyona. He used to spend half his salary on phone bills to talk to Alyona. She once surprised him by booking a seat next to him on a flight to Singapore even though she had never flown before.

• Sanjeev then joined ITDC’s Hotel Samrat in Delhi and later moved to Mumbai to join Hotel Centaur, where he worked as an executive chef for five years; he became an executive chef at Centaur Hotel at the age of 27.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor’s identification card for Hotel Centaur, Mumbai

• While working at Hotel Centaur, Sanjeev was approached by a director and producer who wanted to launch a television show named ‘Shrimaan Bawarchi’ on Zee TV. Sanjeev, however, suggested the name ‘Khana Khazana’ instead as he felt that the title did not match his profile as an executive chef at a five-star hotel. Initially rejected by Zee TV, Sanjeev convinced the channel to change the title.

• Sanjeev joined a part-time business management course at NMIMS, Mumbai, in the evenings while doing ‘Khana Khazana’ as his father believed he had not reached his full potential academically. He was later appointed as a consultant for the show.

• Sanjeev hosted Khana Khazana from 1992 to 8 September 2012. He was also the managing director of the show, which set a record for airing for about 19 years and being broadcast in 120 countries.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor while hosting the television show ‘Khana Khazana’

• After Khana Khazana’s success, Sanjeev Kapoor followed his brother’s advice and left his job at Centaur Hotel, where he was earning Rs. 10,000 a month, to start his own company.

• When the show gained popularity, Sanjeev’s immediate goal was to achieve financial stability. He always looked ahead and had his own website www.sanjeevkapoor.com even before major newspapers did. During the dotcom boom, his website was among the top 20 in India.

• Sanjeev Kapoor initially received many offers to sell his website, but he passed on them as he was hoping to get Rs. 100 crore, which did not happen. He then started writing cookbooks due to popular demand and encouragement from Tarla Dalal, a food journalist and chef.

• In January 1999, he launched his first book ‘Khazana of Indian Recipes,’ which he even presented to the then-First Lady of India Usha Narayanan in the same year.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor while presenting his first book, Khazana of the Indian Recipes, to Usha Narayanan in 1999

• Sanjeev was inspired to write his first book after learning about someone earning Rs. 80 lakh in royalties annually. After extensive research, he wrote his first book, which sold over 1,00,000 copies in the first year alone.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor’s book, ‘Khazana of the Indian Recipes’

• In July 2006, he established a production company named Turmeric Vision Pvt. Ltd.

• Sanjeev has a passion for gadgets. He launched ‘WonderChef,’ a brand for cookware and kitchen appliances, in 2009.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor while showcasing WonderChef products

• In January 2011, he co-launched an Indian food and lifestyle channel named ‘Food Food’ and became the first chef in the world to launch his food channel.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor while hosting an episode of the channel ‘Food Food’

• In November 2011, he worked on a project in Copenhagen, Denmark, with Chef René Redzepi, owner of Noma, the world’s top restaurant known for its innovative Nordic cuisine; they collaborated on a culture and travel series called ‘Fusion Journeys,’ which started broadcasting from 12 April 2012.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor and Chef René Redzepi in the show ‘Fusion Journeys’

• In 2012, he represented India as a Food Ambassador under the Spanish government’s ‘Indian Future Leaders Program’ (IFLP).

• Sanjeev has hosted many shows like StarPlus’ MasterChef India Season 3 (2013) and 4 (2015).
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor (centre), along with Vikas Khanna (left) and Kunal Kapur (right), as the host of MasterChef India 3

• He has been the brand ambassador for brands like the Sweekar Advanced Refined Sunflower Oil, Nutralite, Daawat Basmati Rice, Tata Sampann Dals, and Masalas.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor as the brand ambassador for Daawat

• He has prepared meals for various prominent individuals including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2015, he prepared a special vegetarian feast for Narendra Modi for the dinner hosted by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) in UAE.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor with Narendra Modi in UAE

  

  Sanjeev Kapoor’s social media post about the dishes he prepared for Narendra Modi in UAE

• He is one of the members of the Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel.

• Sanjeev has authored many books including ‘How to Cook Indian,’ which was named the ‘Summer Cookbook of the Year 2011’ by the New York Times.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor’s ‘How to Cook Indian’

• Sanjeev represented India at the 2012 World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) in Daejeon, South Korea. He introduced the ancient techniques of Ayurvedic cooking to chefs worldwide.

• He was once a chief speaker and presenter at the Worlds of Flavor International Conference and Festival organised by the Culinary Institute of America at Graystone, California.

• Sanjeev Kapoor has established many restaurants like Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor, The Yellow Chilli, Sura Vie, Khazana, Grain Of Salt, and India Green under the brand ‘Sanjeev Kapoor Restaurants’ with outlets around the world.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor (centre) during the launch of The Yellow Chilli

• On 25 July 2016, he inaugurated the Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts, Pune, in collaboration with Symbiosis University to offer a 3-year full-time BSc degree in Culinary Arts.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor during the Cake Mixing Ceremony at the Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts

• In April 2019, Harvard Business School published a case study titled ‘Sanjeev Kapoor: The Recipe for Success’ on him, which made him one of seven chefs worldwide to have a case study published by the institution.

• He became the richest chef in India with an income of Rs 24.8 crore in 2019.

• In October 2020, he launched his online academy named ‘Sanjeev Kapoor Academy’ to offer various cooking courses helping people pursue cooking as a profession.

• In 2021, he co-launched an AI platform called Tinychef, which helps chefs create their own mobile apps.

• Sanjeev believes in contributing to the society. He has worked closely with autistic children and adults. He supports a charity called Forum for Autism and also employs individuals with autism in his company to help them and their families.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor (as autism awareness ambassador), along with Forum for Autism office-bearers, during the announcement of the charter of rights for autistic children

• Sanjeev supports aspiring chefs from underprivileged families by providing them with training opportunities. He has also undertaken the task of improving and providing meals to schoolchildren in remote villages and those from economically weak families.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor while spending a day with schoolchildren

• He has been appointed by the United Nations (UN) as the Indian Ambassador of their Clean Cookstoves Campaign, which aims to help underprivileged individuals in developing countries.

• He has also been chosen as the Indian Ambassador for the UN’s Clean Cooking Alliance, which encourages the adoption of safe cooking fuels and stoves in rural India.

• Sanjeev partners with Akshaya Patra Foundation, an organisation that runs the global mid-day meal program. Their effort ensures that over 1.8 million children in about 14,702 schools across 12 states in India receive nutritious lunches.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor at an event organised by the Akshaya Patra Foundation

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, he teamed up with Akshaya Patra Foundation, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), and Chef José Andre of the World Central Kitchen to distribute nutritious meals to healthcare workers on the frontline.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor with the staff of a hospital during the CHOVID-19 pandemic

• On 20 February 2021, he was felicitated by the Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari for his contribution to society during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor while being felicitated by the Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Mumbai

• Sanjeev Kapoor’s brand has collaborated with the HRD ministry to design a special menu for students of all Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) across the country.

• Sanjeev is an avid traveller and often shares his travelling experiences on social media.
  

  A picture of Sanjeev Kapoor and Alyona Kapoor from their trip to Jammu and Kashmir

• He is a fitness enthusiast and often hits the gym. He also practices yoga.
  

  Sanjeev Kapoor while working out at a gym