Arun Kapil

Arun Kapil is a ‘Spice Expert’ and a cook. His intimate knowledge of spices and spicing gives his food a joyous modern edge. Honing his skills at Ballymaloe, Ireland and kitchens in London, Arun’s cooking as with his presenting has an easy uncomplicated style. Settling in Ireland’s food capital, Co Cork in 2004, Arun set-up his highly regarded and award-winning spice company Green Saffron in 2007. Green Saffron sources sustainable, fresh spices direct from family farms in India. Arun produces highly innovative unique and exceptional blends for cuisines of all styles used by top chefs the world over. Arun regularly appears on Ireland's RTE 1, top rated afternoon show, ‘Today Show with Maura and Daithi’, appears on TV3’s ‘Six O’Clock Show’, on Channel 4’s ‘Sunday Brunch’ and has appeared alongside Richard Corrigan on Cookery School for Channel 4, The Food Programme, Radio 4, featured in programmes with Rachel Allen, Donal Skehan and Market Kitchen, UKTV and ‘Pies and Puds’ with Paul Hollywood on BBC1. Arun contributes regularly to various Irish national radio channels and has just published his first cookbook, ‘Fresh Spice’ through Pavilion, UK with co-edition in the US through Sterling Gourmet.

Special subjects

• Spice Farming: Ethical sourcing, sustainability & backward integration of Spices • Spice for flavour, health and everyday cooking • A History of Spice Trade; a garbled view of India • Cooking with ‘Fresh Spice’ • Indian food by region • Secure Supply, Food Safety & Efficacy of Indian Spices

Languages spoken

English (very basic, French, that does get better the longer I stay there....just saying)

Regular work

My day-to-day life revolves around #freshspice. Sourcing the best direct from Indian farms. I am intrinsically involved with the NPD of many food products and meal solutions across three categories: ambient, fresh and frozen for my own brand and third party companies. I write recipes for various media outlets and purposes, for my company's Market stall and the various pop-ups I do from time to time. Constantly cooking something, writing recipes or milling spices for another!

Advisory boards / Awards

I am associated to The Institute of Global Food Security, Queen's University, Belfast. My company will be one of the founders to sit on the new 'Herb and Spice Consortium' UK.

Commercial interests

I am the Founder and CEO of Green Saffron Spices Ltd, a company working in the heart of rural Indian spice fields and with their village communities. Through the brand I have started, I want that everybody gets to experience the glorious flavour of fresh, vibrant spice. We work direct with sarpanches, heads of villages to source the best, new season (spice) crop. We're proud of our Sedex verification back to farm, the initiatives we have set up within farming communities for the betterment of the land, the crop and the environment in which they're grown.

Arun Kapil

Published