I'm Yogi, a chef running my own business, Yogi's Sri Lankan Kitchen, out of what was Trampoline Café in Angel. I'm also a happy husband and father, with a daughter who is now 19.
The Journey
But my start in this career was anything but typical. I arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker and spent 4-5 years experiencing housing insecurity, homelessness, and a severe lack of support, often living on the streets. I know what it's like to truly feel hunger.
During that time, I also faced serious physical health struggles—heart failure, blood clots, and eventually a mental health crisis. In 2019, I was sectioned in a mental hospital for three months.
A Turning Point
Freedom from Torture, an organisation dedicated to supporting survivors, changed my life during that period. They provided me with housing, mental health support, and in 2020, I was finally granted asylum in the UK.
My life trajectory shifted when I was connected with Migrateful, who provided cooking training. Through them, I had the chance to cook at the British Museum and the Park Plaza Hotel, before eventually finding my home in Camden Passage, where I now run my own kitchen.
Cooking with Love
"The dishes I make are a reflection of all the love I've experienced in my life and the love I want to give back."
Some recipes are inspired by my childhood in Sri Lanka, where my mother would cook my favourite meals for me. Others are adaptations for the wide range of tastes and dietary needs of those who visit us. Cooking in this way brings me the greatest joy—it allows me to express myself and to care for my communities.
Reunited with Family
After 14 years away from home, I was finally able to travel to India in 2023 to reunite with my parents. I cooked every meal for them while we were together. That was the moment I truly realised the weight of the journey I had been on.
Seeing my mother so proud and emotional as she ate the food I prepared for her made me hope that I can bring that same feeling of care and home to everyone I cook for—no matter where they are from, no matter their asylum status, or their financial background.
Full Circle
Some of the most surreal moments of my journey include walking past posters of myself in tube stations like Charing Cross—where I once slept while homeless—and meeting Prince William during my time at hotel school.
Today, I'm proud to be a business owner, serving the community that embraced me when I had nothing. Every plate I serve is a thank you to everyone who believed in me along the way.
