Shelina Permalloo is a TV chef, restaurateur and cookery author who specialises in Mauritian food. She won BBC's

MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a competitive cooking show television format created by Franc Roddam, which originated with the UK version in July 1990. The format was revived and updated for the BBC in February 2005 by executive producers Roddam and John ...

in 2012.

Early life

Permalloo was born and brought up in Southampton and identifies as being a British Mauritian with both parents migrating from Mauritius.

Career

After time as a project manager in the field of equality, diversity and inclusion, Permalloo took part in

programme and she became BBC’s MasterChef Champion in 2012. She published her first cook book ''Sunshine on a Plate'' based on her Mauritian heritage. She opened her first restaurant Lakez Maman in Southampton in 2016. Her restaurant is inspired by modern Mauritian street food and is run by an all-female management team. Permalloo is a panellist on BBC Radio 4 The Kitchen Cabinet with food critic

Jay Rayner Jason Matthew Rayner (born 14 September 1966) is an English journalist and food critic. Early life Jason Matthew Rayner was born on 14 September 1966. He is the younger son of Desmond Rayner and journalist Claire Rayner. His family is Jewish. He ...

. She has returned as a judge on BBC’s MasterChef and as a guest chef on TV in show's such as

Saturday Kitchen ''Saturday Kitchen Live'' is a British cookery programme, that is broadcast live on BBC One every Saturday between 10.00am and 11.30am produced by Cactus TV. History 2002–2003 After a pilot hosted by Ainsley Harriott on 14 April 2001, the ...

, Kirstie Allsopp Handmade Christmas and John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen. Her first book ''Sunshine on a Plate'' reflects her Mauritian Heritage and won the Gourmand book awards for 'best African cookbook', her second book ''The Sunshine Diet'' was published in 2015. She has partnered her restaurant with SOS Children’s Village, an orphanage based in Mauritius. For every full-time staff member, Lakaz Maman sponsors a child in Mauritius. In 2022 she gave a TEDx talk at the University of Southampton on the power of food. She was appointed Chair of Southampton 2025 City of Culture Trust. During the pandemic, her team cooked over 1,500 meals for keyworkers and the homeless and 300 free school meals. She is an ambassador for Southampton’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

Publications

*
Sunshine on a Plate
' (2013) *
The Sunshine Diet
' (2015)

References

External links

Official site
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Permalloo, Shelina Living people Mass media people from Southampton English people of Mauritian descent Reality cooking competition winners Women chefs Year of birth missing (living people) Restaurateurs