Special feeling for a very special caterer
Maidenhead: Cook scoops ‘outstanding’ prize at SHE awards
The owner of a home-grown catering business in Maidenhead has been recognised for her culinary skills at a national awards ceremony.
Shilpam Bidasaria, 46, was one of 10 finalists from across the UK to be nominated for her ‘outstanding culinary skills’ at the SHE Awards 2023, which recognise the achievements of women from all walks of life.
Shilpam was marked by five judges, including a previous SHE award-winner from Maidenhead, and won a first place trophy for her category.
Discussing her win, Shilpam said: “It’s made me feel so, so special. I’m very thankful to the organisers and judges for recognising me.”
The 6th annual SHE Awards took place on Wednesday, March 8, celebrating International Women’s Day at the Prince Regent Hotel in Chigwell. It brought together over 300 people from across the UK.
BBC Radio presenter Noreen Khan hosted the event and judges included a former MasterChef finalist and five-time paralympian gold medallist.
Maidenhead business owner, Sophia Choudry, returned to judge the awards this year after she won a SHE award in the business category in 2021.
She said the judging process was ‘extremely tough with that much talent in the room’.
Sophia, 44, invented ‘Roti Box’ – a mess-free solution to make homemade rotis – and launched her business in 2020 after four years of setbacks and failed prototypes.
The White Waltham resident said: “Being an entrepreneur can be lonely, but the SHE award validates and recognises hard work. It feels like everyone has a fair chance.”
Shilpam took her love of hosting dinner parties and passion for cooking as an opportunity to launch her catering business Desi Flavorz in 2017, specialising in Indian vegetarian food.
During the pandemic, she provided over 1,000 meals for NHS staff in surrounding hospitals and delivered meals to Maidenhead Foodshare and The Brett Foundation.
The St Mark’s Crescent resident currently caters for more than 500 clients and continues to provide free meals to a local youth community charity in Maidenhead.
SHE Awards founder Sharifa Begum said: “We’ve seen women go from strength to strength because these awards give them confidence.
“They’ve grown and have gone onto bigger things. That’s what our platform is about.”