Ali Imdad

Ali Imdad is a British chef and television personality. He is best known for his appearances as a contestant on the cooking reality series The Great British Bake Off. Imdad also hosts the television series Halal Kitchen on British Muslim TV.

Early life and career

Imdad was born on July 1, 1988 in Birmingham, England. He attended the University of Leicester where he earned a degree in marketing and management. While at university, Imdad found an old cookbook that one of his roommates had left behind when they moved. He began to practice baking on his friends and family. In 2013, he applied to be on the BBC's fourth series of The Great British Bake Off. He was selected from over 10,000 applicants to be one of 13 contestants on the series. After successfully passing the first three rounds, Imdad placed ninth in the series. After completing The Great British Bake Off, Imdad left his marketing job and became a full-time baker.^[1] In 2014, he worked with British charity Fixers to create a series of recipes designed to appeal to students. In 2015, he went on to start the dessert parlour Artisan in Birmingham and founded the pâtisserie Cocoa by Ali in 2016.^[2][3] In 2017, he partnered with Rebus in Leicester to provide a special series of desserts for the lounge.^[3]

Personal life

Imdad has three brothers and one younger sister. He is Muslim and has frequently been the victim of racial abuse due to his religious background.^[4]

References