Chef Santosh Shah

Santosh Shah probably a Nepali name on everyone's mouth. Shah is a Nepali citizen and a Chef by profession. 

Chef Santosh came to the limelight after, he became the runner up in the Masterchef UK 2020. Although he ended up being the 1st runner up, Santosh Shah is hailed as the People's Champion. 

Get to know Chef Santosh Shah here.

Chef Santosh Shah From Nepal

Santosh Shah was born on 7 November 1985 in Sirahak, Karjanha, Nepal. He was born into a poor family with seven siblings. He was the youngest among them. 

He lost his father in early childhood and as a result, the family burden was on his mother's shoulder. So to help his family financially, as a kid, he sold Bread and Polythene bags to earns money. 

At the age of 14, he and his parents moved to Ahmedabad, Gujrat. There he worked as a dishwasher. At the time, he made around 900 IC. As time went by, he saw people wearing a white dress and a long hat who earned 16,000 IC. Soon, he was influenced by the money factor and wanted to become a chef. 

Santosh Shah: Father of Peculiar Recipies; Tandoori Octopus? 

One fine day, Santosh Shah talked to the Executive Chef of the hotel he worked in and requested him to work as a chef. The chef agreed and taught him to make tandoori. 

Later, he joined another restaurant that had its own culinary teaching institute. From the institute, he earned a diploma in Hotel and catering management. 

Moreover, to get higher posts, Shah started learning English in 3 different places while managing his work. Finally, he became the Executive Chef of a 5-star hotel after several interviews. 

Initially, he went to Montenegro, south-east Europe. But, Montenegro was too small for his great culinary skills. He came back to India. While he was still working as an executive chef, a Gujarati hotel owner took him to London to work under him. 

In London, he struggled to get paid and even did overtime to learn the culture. He then worked at Dishoom and Benares. After learning there for two years, he moved to Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise. 

There, he got his creative license to experiment. Yes, that was the time when octopus entered an Indian kitchen. 

Around two years later, he was proposed to become an Executive Chef at Baluchi, the five-stars The LaLit Hotel in London. 

Besides that, he also has work experience in hotels like Brasserie Blanc, The Grand Bhagwati, Hotel Mediteran, Holiday Inn, and so on. 

1st Runner Up of Masterchef UK 2020

Moving onto his journey in Masterchef UK, Chef Santosh Shah has amazed not only the judges but the followers of the reality TV show from his passion and dedication for cooking Nepali cuisine. 

Some of the local Nepali foods that Chef Santosh cooked in the Masterchef UK 2020 are "Yomari". He improvised the dish with a certain western touch and presented it as "Sweet Dim Sum". 

In an interview, Chef Santosh Shah expressed: "I am proud that I have brought Nepali Food at a prestigious show, and presenting Nepali Food gives me immense pleasure."

He also added that he participated in the show to promote Nepali cuisine. 

For those who are searching for motivation, Masterchef UK 1st runner up Chef Santosh Shah's words of wisdom: 

Never stop learning, you are never too old to learn new things and to improve your craft.

How Much Is Chef Santosh Shah Net Worth?

Chef Santosh Shah is estimated to have a net worth of $1 million which is similar to Dagen McDowell. His fortune had a big boost after, he became the 1st runner of Masterchef UK 2020. 

Besides, he also adds money as a freelance executive chef. As per tabloids, a freelance executive chef is reported to make around £50 thousand in London. Amaury Guichon is also known as a chef by profession.

Personal Life

Chef Santosh Shah gained massive popularity after he won the Masterchef Uk 2020 as 1st runner up. Though he came to the limelight, he managed to keep his off-screen life completely private. 

Although it is not confirmed, his fans speculate 35 years old Santosh to be a happily married man yet to introduce his wife and children on-screen.