Tina wows diners with Gujarati cuisine

Ottery St Mary’s Tina Chauhan-Challis has had a great start with her new venture, Samosa Lady Deli and Dining after locals gave the thumbs up to her cooking.

Tina, who grew up in York and moved to the town in 2011, took on an empty shop on the corner of Broad Street in September. Since then, customers have been flocking to the store to stock up on ingredients and enjoy chai tea and Tina’s feted samosas.

Tina’s recipes are based around traditional regional Indian flavours as taught to her by her grandparents and parents, and she is now taking her business a step further by offering occasional dining experiences.

“I ran my first full dinner for 16 people for Diwali, the Indian New Year and it went down really well,” she explained.

“I’m now planning on opening for dinner on five or six evenings each month. I would encourage people to come along and bring their friends and try out my cooking ‒ they won’t find anything like it elsewhere in East Devon.”

Between courses, Tina takes time out to explain ingredients and traditions behind the dishes to diners, who might learn why Bombay Duck is now banned in the UK or what the difference is between black and green cardamom.

The shop is open weekly from Thursday to Saturday 9.30 to 4.30pm. Watch out for news of the next event on social media or in the shop.

Tina also offers a pop up takeaway and can be booked to cook for dinner parties.