The Graduate: Romany Henry

Romany Henry, or @dudueats, is a Culinary Diploma graduate and Mob Kitchen alumna whose social media star seems to be permanently in the ascendant. Reels of treacly slow roasted purple potatoes and pillow-soft Japanese milk bread have attracted views edging towards the millions on her profile.

Her plan, however, is to make content creation ‘the second thing rather than the main hustle.’ She is keen to spend more time working in professional kitchens – of course, with her Leiths’ knives in tow ‘I still use them, I literally still use them!’. And expanding her Thai chilli oil business which she co-owns with her mother, Mon Lam.

‘I always thought Mum and I would do supper clubs together but I never thought that we would be business partners and make a product together. But now that we’re doing it I’m like “Oh my goodness, this is something I want to do forever and ever.”

‘And we have a new flavour coming out – Dudu Master Oil – it’s like the oil for all cuisines – you can put her in everything.’

‘We’re actually now working with this amazing Thai-owned family business and they source all their herbs from their grandma’s farm in Thailand.’

Born in Hong-Kong and raised in Phuket before moving to the U.K, Romany radiates the importance of representing Asian women in the British food scene. Having staged at Thai restaurants som saa and Kolae, co-founded by Andy Oliver, she’s got the taste for professional kitchens. But observes that ‘there’s just not enough Asian ladies out there, you know?’

‘som saa, for example, is male owned. Kolae is also co-owned by Andy. Plaza Kao Gaeng, Speedboat Bar… they’re all dudes.

‘They’re representing Thai food in an incredible way but where are the Asian ladies?

‘I want to see more Asian women doing Asian food that isn’t like a classic Thai restaurant.’

She namechecks Abby Lee, the Malaysian head chef at Mambow.

‘She’s representing a gap of Malaysian cuisine that’s not really on the map but the way she does it is in her own way while still being very authentic in flavour.

‘My Mum makes everything up but because she’s “the Mum” it’s authentic. Same with our grandmas, they made shit up too but because they’re grandmas people are like “authentic”.’

I should say that last year, in the name of recording a podcast, I had the joy of eating with Romany in her own home. She lavished me and my producer with pork floss buns, tom kha gai and a cockle-warming broth of Chinese red dates, sweet potato and ginger. It was, and she is, glorious.

The dream, she tells me, is ‘to be doing supper clubs and chef residencies’. Where do I sign up?

Romany and mother Mon Lam will join us as guests at our Career’s Event next month.