Iqbal Wahhab

While there is more to Iqbal Wahhab’s career than the founding of Roast, the British Restaurant overlooking Borough Market is a good place to start. Opened in 2005, the restaurant and bar continued to achieve significant growth in the past year, fuelled with ongoing innovation.

In addition to the restaurant’s commitment to promoting seasonal British produce, its drinks offering features a significant English wine selection, as well as a number of organic and biodynamic wines. Roast’s cocktail offerings are primarily made with British spirits and seasonal fruits.

Wahhab’s first foray into the on-trade was in 2001 with his launch of the Cinnamon Club, which offered a new take on Indian dining. Prior to this Wahhab had started Tandoori Magazine, after setting up a PR firm specialising in food, drink and restarants.

He has been a voluntary advisor to the NHS about food and drink in hospitals, and acted as chairman for the board of trustees for educational charity Learning for Life. He is currently skills ambassador for the 2012 Olympic games, as well as an ambassador for Rivington Place, which will be a “permanent home for culturally diverse visual arts in the UK”. He also works with the Prince’s Trust, taking children from underprivileged schools to Roast and Borough Market on food education programmes.

Wahhab was awarded an honourary doctorate in business administration by the University of East London last year.
Judges referred to Wahhab as “a towering presence of a restaurateur” and a “consummate businessman”, commenting on the positive impact he has been able to have in government.

Click to see the award presentation at this years ceremony