Curry Club founder Pat Chapman dies aged 81

Pat Chapman, author and founder of the Curry Club and the Cobra Good Curry Guide, has died at the age of 81.

Chapman was born in London and his knowledge of Indian cookery was passed on from family members who had lived in the country from 1715 to 1935, first working for the East India Company then the British Raj.

Chapman wrote 36 cookery books including the Indian Restaurant Cookbook, which together sold more than two million copies, and was a long serving chair of judges for the Asian Catering Federation.

He built up a database of Indian restaurants, with more than 10,000 entries. In 1984 this was published as the Good Curry Guide sponsored by Cobra beer. The final edition was published in 2013.

He also frequently gave cooking demonstrations, ran courses and organised trips to India for small groups. In 2010 he was commissioned to create recipes that added spices to favourite British dishes to mark National Curry Week.

In 2019 he was presented a lifetime achievement award at the Asian Curry Awards by the Asian Catering Federation.

Speaking at the ceremony judge George Shaw said: “Everyone who works in the curry sector owes Pat a huge debt and never has a Lifetime Achievement Award so been richly deserved.”