Having brought the Spice Kitchen to local and national acclaim, Ragini Dey is selling her establishment. Source: News Limited
SHE’S cooked for Sir Donald Bradman and several Indian Test teams, while introducing Adelaide to a vast repertoire of food from the subcontinent not found elsewhere.
Now, after 26 years, Ragini Dey has decided it’s time to step away from the Spice Kitchen, the eastern suburbs restaurant she has taken to local and national acclaim.
The small but indefatigable chef revealed on Tuesday that she had agreed to sell her business to undisclosed buyers who will keep the name and renovate the dining rooms, in an old school house on Kensington Rd.
At the same time, high-profile chef Camillo Crugnale has sold his share and left prestigious Italian diner Assaggio, along with the sommelier Orlando Bagnara and sous chef Franko Barisic.
The trio opened Assaggio, with other partners, more than nine years ago but disagreement over a future direction led to a split among the owners.
Dey said a variety of personal and health reasons had led her to consider selling the Spice Kitchen, which comprises both a takeaway operation and the Dhaba at the Spice Kitchen restaurant.
The restaurant won the Best Indian category in The Advertiser Food Awards in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
“Then these guys appeared out of the blue and wanted to buy the place,” she said. “We had spread the word but not really gone chasing anyone. I thought maybe it’s meant to be so let’s do it. It’s not that I want to lie on a beach and retire or anything like that. I still want to cook.”
Dey said that cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman was an early customer.
“He used to come to the old Spice Kitchen. For two years I didn’t realise who he was. He used to sit with his son at the same table in the corner.”
For the next month or so, Dey will cook a special “greatest hits” menu, with Spice Kitchen favourites including the four vindaloos and duck curry, before finishing in mid-June.
Crugnale said the trio’s decision to leave Assaggio was prompted by a move to focus more on casual dining.
“I’ve decided with Orlando to pull up stumps,” he said. “We drove it as far as we could go. We’ve been talking about this for a few months. It’s sad.
“When people are making money they are comfortable, but they might not want to spend money.”
Crugnale said the trio were all looking at other opportunities, either together or apart.
Source: The Australian - 6th May 2015
