An entrepreneur who walked away from a high-flying career after 22 years, to pursue his passion for food, has now launched unique workshops themed around spice.
Rajesh Darji established his food experience company Scratch Cook Social, in Leamington, in January after leaving his Vice President role at Bosch, after 22 years.
Building on the early success of Scratch Cook Social’s private dining and catering, the self-taught chef has now added the fun and immersive Spice Blending Team Building Experience to his menu of services.
In the three-hour workshop, Raj leads the group on a journey of spice exploration, inviting teams of tasters to explore the qualities of nine different spices and experiment with blending.
He explains: “The first thing we recognise when opening a tin of spices is the impact on our senses. We suddenly become alert to the visuals, aromas – and by handling them – also the textures and flavours.”
Armed with this new learning, the group is divided into smaller teams and tasked with creating their own masala blend. Team members are then invited to enjoy specially curated dishes cooked by their host while he grinds up their bespoke spices ready to take home.
Born into a first generation of immigrants from India, Raj grew up and studied in London before graduating in Automotive Engineering at Coventry University and joining Bosch. It’s a role which has taken him and his family across the world, including five years living in The States and four years in Germany – global influences which have informed his cooking style today, including French, Italian, Thai, Chinese and Japanese influences and, of course, Indian.
Since settling in south Warwickshire in 2021 – and following a period of deep reflection about the next chapter – Raj reconnected with his passion for food. From an early age watching his mother cook up a storm in the kitchen, he admits she still has a huge influence on his recipes today.
He said: “During that period of trying to figure out what the future might hold, I came across this wonderful book Ikigai. The basic Japanese concept is to look at what are the things in your life that you really love? Of course, you love your family, your friends. But what do you really love doing? The other part is, what are you good at? And what does the world need? And finally, what can you make money from?
“I love interacting with people. I love eating. I love trying different things. I love experimenting. I love creating things. I love the joy of creating something and then seeing the positive impact of that creation on other people’s lives.”
Scratch Cook Social offers bespoke private fine dining experiences and catering, for small groups, working with each client to tailor a menu that suits their specific requirements and dietary needs, but always steeped in traditional Indian flavours.
Raj is also working in conjunction with his wife’s business, Naturally Nourished With Meeta, delivering healthy, nutritious and delicious food for day retreats.
His culinary skills are also on display at regular pop-up events hosted by Café Desa in Leamington, including, coming up, a five-course Autumn and Winter Tasting Menus on October 11th and November 29th, as well as A Desi Christmas on December 6th.
He said: “Having those events allows me to showcase my type of food. I get to experiment with different dishes and see what people think.
“I think the common view of Indian food is hot and often over-spiced curries but traditionally speaking, it’s quite a lot more than that. For me, it’s about taking those Indian flavours and experimenting with ingredients and cooking techniques from around the world while also presenting each dish in a contemporary fashion.
“When I go out to eat I love to see the colours, the way things are put together, and am intrigued by the experience I’m about to have. I like to be surprised as well. I get inspiration from lots of different places. But I believe my flavour profile is unique.”
The talented chef is looking forward to seeing where this new labour of love will take him as he counts down to the one-year anniversary of Scratch Cook Social, including growing his own-brand products range for his online shop.
Further information about Scratch Cook Social, the Spice Blending workshops and the pop-up events is available HERE.
