TV chef gets spicy with Tower Hamlets cooks

Cyrus Todiwala, executive chef of Café Spice Namaste, holder of a gold Tower Hamlets Food for Health Award and BBC TV Chef, led the workshop by demonstrating how to prepare healthier dishes using more spices and less salt and oil. During the session he also offered useful businesses tips and explained how healthier cooking can reduce food waste. "Customers want healthier options and we need to raise the standards. Tower Hamlets is making serious efforts to make the changes," said Cyrus. The workshop was coordinated by the Tower Hamlets Healthy Borough Programme for food businesses based in the borough as part of the Food for Health Awards. The award scheme is set-up to tackle some of the causes of obesity. The awards acknowledge food businesses which serve meals with reduced sugar, fat, salt and promote healthier eating. Michele Sandelson, Public Health Dietician, for NHS Tower Hamlets explained: "Encouraging food businesses to support customers who want to eat healthier food when eating out is vital if we want to tackle obesity; it's also important we get more fast-food takeaways involved so they're more informed about healthier cooking methods. "By working together and encouraging businesses to take part in the free healthier catering, nutrition and frying workshops we're on the right track to improving the knowledge of local food businesses." Food business that attended the healthier catering workshop included: • Cafe Fresh • Cafe Reconnect • Tasty Chicken 'n' Pizza • Cafe Arena • Cruising Association • Skylight Cafe • Sri Lankan Food, Sunday Upmarket • The Tale of India • Cafe Isha • Ambience Catering