Nisha Katona, a former child protection barrister, impulsively left her Liverpool job in 2014 to open Mowgli Street Food on Bold Street. The chain now turns over £40.4 million a year, according to Business Live.
From Barrister to Restaurateur
Katona, now 54, worked for 20 years as a barrister before taking the risk. She told the Liverpool ECHO: 'In this city I was a child protection barrister for 20 years, but I used to cook and teach Indian cooking. I always knew I wanted to pass my recipes on, but it’s cocky to think I could have built a restaurant.'
She added: 'I realised people were coming just to eat my food at my house. So I thought maybe there’s something in that and that’s when entrepreneurism bites.'
Rapid Growth and Financial Success
What started as one restaurant on Bold Street has expanded to 26 sites across the UK, including in Manchester, London, Birmingham, and Glasgow. The company recorded a turnover of £40.4 million for the year ending July 31, 2024, generating hundreds of jobs in Liverpool.
Katona sacrificed heavily to fund the business: 'I sacrificed everything, my savings, I was planning on selling my house, my brother had to lend me £5,000 to buy pans.'
Community and Charity Work
In 2017, she established The Mowgli Trust charity, which has raised over £1.8 million for children's hospices, hospices, cancer charities, and hospital charities.
Media Career and New Book
Katona has also appeared on television, hosting segments on This Morning, judging on Great British Menu, and starring in Cooking with the Stars. She hosts her own show, Nisha Katona’s Home Kitchen. Her seventh cookbook, The Curry Bible, launches on June 25, 2025, featuring 100 beginner-friendly recipes.
She said: 'Hopefully it’s the only curry book you’ll ever need.'
Personal Life and Liverpool Roots
Katona lives on the Wirral with her husband Zoltan and two daughters, Tia and India. She studied law at Liverpool John Moores University and was appointed its first alumni chancellor in 2022. She received an MBE for services to the food industry in 2019.
She credits Liverpool for Mowgli's success: 'Mowgli would not have happened if it didn’t start in Liverpool. This city, how broad-minded it is, how eager it is to try anything new.'
