IQBAL WAHHAB - Founder

Iqbal Wahhab was born in Bangladesh and came to Britain at the age of eight months. He was educated in London and is a graduate of the London School of Economics. After working as a journalist in the national press for three years, in 1991 he set up his own PR firm which specialised in food, drink and restaurants and then in 1994 he launched Tandoori Magazine.

He sold out of the magazine to launch the multi award winning Cinnamon Club in 2001 - a restaurant and bar aimed to change the way we view Indian dining. In 2003 he co-authored The Cinnamon Club Cookbook and in 2005 opened Roast. A series of new commercial projects are soon to be launched.

Iqbal is chair of the Government's Ethnic Minority Advisory Group set up to discuss ways to reduce ethnic minority unemployment levels and sits on a Task Force with six ministers to formulate policies to this end.

Patron, Concern Worldwide www.concern.org.uk

Arts:

Ambassador, Rivington Place http://www.rivingtonplace.org/

Advisor, The Delfina Foundation http://www.delfinafoundation.com/

Board Memberships:

The Prince's Mosaic http://www.bitc.org.uk/princes_programmes/mosaic/

Race for Opportunity - Business in the Community http://www.bitc.org.uk/workplace/diversity_and_inclusion/race/

Bright Ideas Trust http://www.brightideastrust.com/

Awards

Businessman of the Year 2008, The Drinks Business

Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration, University of East London

Voted Restaurant Personality of the Year by Menu Magazine

Voted one of the Top 10 Restaurateurs in Britain in an Independent on Sunday survey

"Iqbal is a restaurateur par excellence, combining a passion for food with an art for communication, fine attention to detail and sound commercial acumen." Mark Price Managing Director of Waitrose on waitrose.com

"National Treasure" - The Times

LAWRENCE KEOGH, Head Cook

Our head cook is Lawrence Keogh, formerly of The Avenue, The Goring, Kensington Place and The Ritz. Lawrence regularly appears on television food programmes such as Masterchef and Saturday Kitchen.

He is the author of Food For Life - a renal dietician cookbook for which all proceeds went to the National Kidney Foundation.

Lawrence is also a member of the Borough Market Food Advisory Panel

SERGEI GUBARS, General Manager

Our General Manager is Sergei Gubars, formerly of The Cinnamon Club. Sergei is also our head wine buyer and Roast has a Notable Wine List award from the AA.