Hi, I’m Bita,
I was born and raised in Mashhad, Iran, and have lived in the UK for most of my life - first to study, and soon because it felt like a fresh pot of soil - a new home that allowed me to root, grow, and begin again.
Food has always been my quiet companion, shaping me long before I realised it. I grew up watching my grandmother transform the simplest ingredients into unforgettable aromas and flavours. That must be where I first learned to believe that “simple is not easy’”- a truth I carry with me, both in life and in the kitchen to this day.
Looking back, I grew around food in Iran, where every season is welcomed with ceremony and every harvest is celebrated with gratitude, family and friends - from the vibrant Pomegranate Celebration marking autumn’s arrival, abundance and the new harvest, to the Persian New Year in March honouring nature’s renewal and new beginnings, and the many small rituals that shaped my earliest understanding of food as story, memory, connection and joy.
I began my professional life as a language teacher, working in secondary schools and colleges in both Iran and London. In 2011, I published the GCSE Persian textbook, and when I completed it in 2014, something shifted. The quiet call back to food became something I could no longer ignore.
I stepped into the world of professional cooking. While completing my professional training in cooking and baking, I opened the doors of my London home to strangers for my first Persian Supper Club. My intention was simple: to honour the food culture and flavours of my heritage, to build a bridge between my two homes through food, to feel at home again, to create fresh and nourishing dishes that connect people, and to share the good things in life through the culture of hospitality that shaped me from childhood.
I took each encouragement as confirmation that I was on the right path - being awarded Student of the Year, having the Evening Standard name my Supper Club one of London’s Best, and soon hosting events in acclaimed venues, catering internationally, collaborating on creative projects, and presenting my own weekly TV show, Bita’s Kitchen.
By 2024–2025, I felt a strong desire to look beyond my existing experience and broaden my understanding of food and its role in society. This led me to complete an MSc in Culinary Innovation Management at Birkbeck University of London in collaboration with Le Cordon Bleu. The experience deepened my interest in the relationship between food, innovation, sustainability and culture, and strengthened my desire to develop food concepts, products and experiences that create both commercial and social value while supporting health and wellbeing.
Today, my work sits at the intersection of food innovation, product and menu development, culinary entrepreneurship and cultural sustainability. I am particularly interested in developing food products, hospitality concepts and collaborative ventures that bring together creativity, wellbeing, business strategy and human connection.
As I continue to explore new ideas and opportunities, I welcome conversations with organisations, entrepreneurs and partners who share a belief that food can be both meaningful and commercially successful, while contributing positively to people, communities and culture.