New shop for Ottery's Samosa Lady
Ottery St Mary’s popular ‘Samosa Lady’ Tina Chauhan is opening her own shop in the centre of town after her style of cooking took locals by storm.
The shop in Broad Street will sell light Indian snacks and chai tea from a special family recipe, as well as chilled curries, pickles, chutneys, rice, bread and Tina’s celebrated handmade samosas.
Tina has spent the last few years introducing her own brand of home-style Gujarati food to the people of East Devon, selling the samosas along with her signature coriander chutney at the town’s monthly community market.
Success led to the introduction of ‘Bollywood Nights’ - fine dining experiences, and monthly ‘Passage to India’ evenings. A central role in the Ottery St Mary Food and Families Festival followed, which this year saw Tina taking part in an acclaimed cook off with MasterChef semi-finalist, Saira Hamilton.
Tina, who is committed to using local produce, explained why the opportunity for the shop appealed to her: “When the chance arose to establish a new business in the centre of Ottery, I realised it would enable me to develop ideas like cookery schools, private events and a ‘virtual’ pop-up takeaway."
The shop will trade Thursday to Saturday from 9.30 to 4.30pm. “I would really like to thank everyone in Ottery St Mary for their continued support and encouragement and I hope to welcome them all into the new shop to try more of my recipes,” added Tina.
Tina would love to see as many people as possible at the grand opening at 12 noon on Saturday October 11. Later in the evening, Tina’s parents are assisting her with the cooking for an exclusive dining experience.
