Glasgow chef Ajay Kumar reaches final of BBC Great British Menu

Glasgow chef Ajay Kumar has reached the final of BBC's Great British Menu to represent Scotland.

Kumar was born in Punjab, India with him moving to Scotland in 2009 before opening his Glasgow restaurant Swadish on Ingram Street a decade later in 2019 in the former Central Fire Engine station building.

Taking to social media, he said: "Representing Scotland at the finals of the Great British Menu is the biggest achievement of my career to date.

"I am so honoured to have won this for my family, my staff, my customers and for Scotland. "This was the toughest day I’ve experienced in any kitchen, I am tired but still buzzing. Cooking a five-course meal like that was indescribable and going head to head with Kevin was a rough ride. He is definitely a top chef and I thank him for being such a great opponent - I’ve learnt a lot!

"Thank you to the Great British Menu for giving me this fantastic opportunity. Thank you to all of you sincerely from the bottom of my heart for you support and love throughout this process. See you all soon at Swadish."

The restaurant in the heart of the Merchant City has grown from strength to strength in recent years having been recognised with awards such as The Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence 2023-2024, Best In Scotland British Curry Award 2022 and Scotland's Best Indian Restaurant 2022 amongst others.