The mother of Neha, 24, and Rishi, 22, moved here in 1986 because her husband, Mr Bhushan Sood, now 56, was posted to Singapore to manage a hotel.

He was subsequently sent to Cairo in 1989, and Colombo at the end of 1990.

'Living in Singapore took some adjustment initially, but every time we left the country, we missed it - that's when we knew this was home,' Mrs Sood says.

So the family moved back here in 1993.

The graduate in psychology admits she did not have any background in the food and beverage industry.

But she adds: 'I love food and I picked up interior decorating while I was at university.'

Read the full story in tomorrow's editon of The Sunday Times.