Award-winning author and former beer writer of the year, David Jesudason, has launched a new weekly newsletter on Desi food and culture in London.
David Jesudason
Desi Food Guide celebrates Desi (British-Indian) food and the incredible stories behind the people who make it. It follows on from his award-winning 2023 book Desi Pubs: A Guide to British-Indian Pubs, Food and Culture.
David will draw on his decades of experience as a journalist to take readers on a journey and give a voice to those who may be shy but have a special tale to tell.
He will visit restaurants, cafés, food trucks and, of course, pubs in London and beyond to detail one dish or experience a week that readers have to experience.
“I want to be a guide to some of the best places to eat the types of food Desis like myself love,” said David. “But I want you to become immersed in the subject and understand the culture behind it. It’s an absolute pleasure to tell the stories of the people behind it and it’s about time you heard their compelling stories!”
The first newsletter tells the story of British-Kenyan-Indian Bharat Patel, who runs a food van called Just A Bite, in Denmark Hill. Using detective work, David has found not only the best masala fish and chips in London, but the story behind it. The British-Asian journalist tracked down the chef and uncovered why hundreds of NHS workers queue up every day for perfectly-spiced and marinated Indian food.
To complement his writing, David has partnered with illustrator Em Sauter, of Pints and Panels, who will add her artistic vision of the delicious dishes, and suggestions of beer pairing.
Jonathan Nunn, founder of Vittles, said: “David is a rare type of writer who seemingly has an ability to do everything. In Desi Pubs he compiled a sensitive and compelling oral history of one of this country’s rare institutions, allowing South Asian landlords to tell their story in their own words, while in his reported work, he hunts down the story himself, with an old-school knack for investigative journalism.
“And, in between, his food writing is genuinely useful as a public service (in that it guides you where to eat and makes you hungry) while also telling a wider story of identity, race and change in this country.”
Launching today, the weekly Substack newsletter is free for the first four editions. After that, Desi Food Guide will be available to paid subscribers for £5/month or £50/year. Take a look now!
