The Cinnamon Club certainly broke the mould when it opened in 2001. Rather than serving the Indian dishes British diners were familiar with – the curries, poppadoms and snacks that still make up the majority of high street ‘curry house’ menus across the UK – it set out to show how varied and exciting modern Indian food could be. Sourcing the best ingredients, incorporating Western techniques and showcasing Indian flavours in a whole new light, it dared to tread ground where no other restaurants had gone before – but many followed in its footsteps.
Twenty years on, The Cinnamon Club continues to be at the forefront of modern Indian cuisine in the UK. Vivek Singh, the restaurant’s founder and executive chef, has been there from the beginning, making him a true expert in how the British public’s love affair with Indian flavours has evolved and changed over the past two decades. While dishes like chicken tikka masala and baltis remain ever-popular, he’s noticed a huge shift in what customers want when eating at his restaurants.
‘The affection the British people have for Indian food has always been there,’ he says, ‘but it’s changed massively since we opened and we’re in a completely different world now. Back in 2001, the majority of customers had a very basic understanding of regional Indian cuisine and the techniques behind cooking it – they knew vindaloo and madras were hot, while korma was mild. It was quite a basic way of looking at the cuisine of an entire subcontinent with a billion people! Now customers know the names of regions like Rajasthan, Kolkata and Kerala, and that Anglo-Indian food is often an adaptation of original dishes. They travel widely, see more things on social media and have a genuine interest in getting under the skin of a cuisine.’
