Praveen Kumar
From a small village in India to plates across Scotland! Praveen Kumar creates delicious curries for people to enjoy at home. With the spices carefully grown and selected by Praveen's family in India, Praveen Kumar blends authenticity with convenience.
This year’s Scottish Food & Drink September campaign centres around the idea that 'Every Bite Tells a Story' so, we caught up with Praveen Kumar to find out more about its story and heritage.
Scottish Food & Drink September 2026
Your recipes trace back to a family spice farm in India. Can you tell us more about that, and how it led you to Scotland?
I grew up in Mattampalli, a small village in South India, surrounded by our family spice farm. Food was at the heart of family life, and my grandmother taught me how to understand and blend spices from a young age. My career in hospitality eventually brought me to Scotland, including working at Gleneagles and Turnberry, before Swarna and I settled in Perth and opened Tabla Indian Restaurant in 2009.
How does your family’s spice farm shape the curries you make today?
The farm is still at the heart of what we do. Our spices are carefully grown and selected by my family in India, giving us a direct connection from the farm to every dish we make. It allows us to protect the quality, freshness and authenticity of the flavours while sharing recipes that have been passed down through our family.
Is there a technique, recipe or process you’ve kept true to since the start, and why does it matter to you?
We still blend our spices carefully and cook our curries slowly in small batches, just as we would at home. We do not use artificial colours, preservatives or unnecessary additives. This matters because proper Indian food cannot be rushed. It needs time, balance and respect for the ingredients.
Do you have any local partnerships or supplier relationships that you are proud of? What does that connection say about how Scotland’s food and drink sector works together?
We are very proud of the relationships we have built with our local suppliers. Yorkes of Dundee supplies our Scottish beef, while Countrywide in Glasgow supply British chicken and lamb for us. We combine this quality British produce with spices from our family farm in India.
These partnerships show how Scotland’s food and drink sector works together, supporting local businesses while creating food with real provenance and an authentic story.
How has the wider Scottish food and drink industry shaped your business journey?
The support we have received in Scotland has been incredibly important. From our early days at Tabla to building our production business and reaching around 1,000 retail partners, we have benefited from advice, funding, mentoring and encouragement from many people across the industry.
Fellow producers, including Mark Bush from Summer Harvest, have openly shared their experiences and supported us along the way. That genuine sense of community has given us the confidence to keep growing.
For 2026, Scotland Food & Drink September is focused on how “Every Bite Tells a Story”. What is the story you want people to taste in every dish?
I want people to taste the journey from our family spice farm in South India to our kitchen in Perth. Every dish carries our family recipes, Swarna’s cooking, my grandmother’s knowledge and the quality of Scottish and British produce.
Most importantly, it carries our purpose: to make proper authentic Indian cuisine available to more families, without preservatives or artificial additives.
Where do you want your story to go next?
Our ambition is to take proper Indian food from Scotland to families across the UK and beyond, while staying true to the recipes and values that brought us here. As the business grows, we want to create more jobs, support more farmers and suppliers, and continue building a Scottish food brand with strong Indian roots.
