A local chef is bringing his culinary skills to a new venue in Leamington as part of a Kitchen Takeover day next week.

On November 22, visitors to 1 Mill Street coworking space will be able to order from an exclusively special menu curated by Rajesh Darji of Scratch Cook Social, throughout the day and as part of a fun trivia night between 6.30-8.30pm, with a host of prizes to be won.

It is the latest in a series of popular Takeover events at the coworking space which also houses a coffeehouse and Fluters Bar.

Scratch Cook Social offers bespoke private fine dining experiences and catering, for small groups, working with each client to tailor a menu that suits their specific requirements and dietary needs, but always steeped in traditional Indian flavours.

Having grown up as a second generation Indian immigrant in London, Rajesh Darji established Scratch Cook Social in January this year after walking away from a corporate career following a period of reflection.

This pivot into the food space was borne out of his passion for creating exciting and tasty British-Indian cuisine, drawing on his experiences of living and working around the globe, while always acknowledging a deep appreciation and respect for his Indian heritage.

Raj said: "My working environment generally centres around my kitchen where I get to create and my home office where I spend my time catching up on admin. But, once a week I step out of these two zones and head down to 1 Mill Street which is open to everyone.

"You can only imagine my excitement when the team invited me to fill in for their great chef Marc while he takes a well-deserved break. I look forward to serving my particular style of delicious and nourishing cuisine to a, largely, new audience."

The Menu includes a selection of dishes for Breakfast - until 11.30am - as well as Small Plates, Nourish Bowls and Healthy Snacks throughout the day.

Catherine Callicot, General Manager, said: "We are super excited to offer something different to our Mill Street members and community and also have a very exciting Trivia Night happening in the evening, so Scratch Cook Social taking us into the evening is fantastic with small plates. We're super excited about this new collaboration."

As well as catering for events and special occasions, Raj's culinary skills are also on display at regular pop-up events hosted by Café Desa in Regent Grove, Leamington, including, coming up, a five-course Winter Tasting Menu on November 29 and Desi Christmas on December 6.

Tickets can be booked here.

Visit Scratch Cook Social here.

Visit 1 Mill Street here.