Meet the award-winning 'accidental chef' who is now running a thriving Leeds restaurant
Nitan Sharma describes himself as an “accidental chef”, but is now running an award-winning Leeds restaurant.
The 45-year-old is the owner and head chef of Delhi Wala Food, a family-run business that’s been serving delicious Indian street food to locals and tourists alike for the last three years.
Nitin describes running the Bishopgate Street restaurant as a “dream”, but cooking was a career he fell into by chance.
“I always say I’m an accidental chef,” he told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“I wanted to be a geography teacher. I had a college degree in geography but in the hunt for a job I was introduced to the IHM, a hotel management course in India.
“That started becoming an interest and then it became my passion.”
In his home country of India, Nitin worked in 5* hotels and even with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
At 21, he moved to Abu Dhabi to continue cooking and here he served his food to the Crown Prince twice.
“It was a really good experience - when he used to come, they used to shut down the hotel,” he said.
“There were security guards in the kitchen and you had 70 minutes only from appetiser to dessert.”
Since Nitin moved to the UK in 2007, he has found a passion for fusion food, mixing Indian flavours with other cuisines such as Chinese or Italian.
After working as a head chef in a host of restaurants across the UK, Nitin decided that he wanted to start his own.
In 2019, alongside his wife Jyostna, he opened the first Delhi Wala Food in Halifax.
Just a few months after opening, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing Delhi Wala Food to become a takeaway-only business.
Yet, Delhi Wala Food overcame the challenge thanks to the support from the community and the business even won Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Award for three years in a row.
At the start of 2023, Delhi Wala Food officially moved from Halifax to Leeds city centre and since then has continued to thrive.
In 2026 alone, Delhi Wala Food won Indian Street Food of the Year at the Nation’s Curry Awards, was an Oliver Award finalist, and has been nominated to be included in the Good Food Guide’s 100 best local restaurants.
It’s a success that Nitin says he feels “proud” of, but he credits his team for making it possible by being there since “day one”.
Nitin said: “It’s teamwork - I can’t do it alone.
“I have a vision and I’ve got a really good team who are with me.
“They are the backbone of Delhi Wala Food.”
At Delhi Wala Food, options range from bite-size delights like dahi puri and achari chicken tikka to generously portioned mains such as a kerala fish curry and chicken jalfrezi, all cooked from fresh food in the kitchen.
Meanwhile drinks choices include the delhi ka banta, a non-alcoholic mojito with an Indian twist and the lassi, a refreshing and creamy Indian classic.
Accessibility is at the heart of the business’ ethos which is why Delhi Wala Food offers an expansive vegan menu, can alter spice levels on request, and prioritises affordability with each dish.
Though Nitin never planned to become a chef, it’s a career that has led to astonishing success.
What has led him this far is always making food a customer will enjoy, whether that diner be a Leeds local or UAE royalty.
“If I’m happy with my food then someone else can be happy as well,” he added.
“I always taste, tasting is the most important.
“We always try to come near to what the customer likes because that is who the food is for.”