Kavya Verghese began her relationship with food under circumstances that could have easily made food feel like a limitation rather than a source of joy. At the age of 10, she was diagnosed with multiple food allergies and had to avoid many foods she loved. For a child, such restrictions can feel frustrating and isolating. Yet, Kavya Verghese chose to respond with curiosity. Instead of asking only what she could not eat, she began exploring what she could create.
That shift in perspective became an important foundation for her journey.
Kavya Verghese started cooking when she was just 12. One of her early creations was a butter-free, eggless and chocolate-free apple crumble. On the surface, it was a simple dish. But for Kavya Verghese, creating something enjoyable while working within strict limitations represented something much bigger. It showed her that restrictions did not necessarily have to eliminate creativity. Sometimes, they could encourage it.
Her interest in cooking also grew from her family. Inspired by her mother and grandmother, Kavya Verghese spent much of her childhood around the kitchen. Those early experiences eventually developed into a more serious pursuit of culinary education. She went on to study Culinary Arts and build experience as a chef, moving from the familiar environment of home cooking into professional kitchens and new culinary settings.
The next stage of Kavya Verghese’s journey expanded her understanding of food beyond recipes. Working in Dubai exposed her to chefs from different backgrounds and introduced her to international culinary environments. Culinary competitions added another dimension to her experience, requiring creativity, preparation and the ability to work under pressure.
Travel became another form of education for Kavya Verghese. Each destination brought new ingredients, techniques, traditions and perspectives. Rather than seeing travel simply as a way to visit different places, she began looking at it through food. A dish could reveal something about a culture. An ingredient could carry a history. A cooking technique could reflect generations of knowledge.
This understanding gradually influenced the way Kavya Verghese approached her own work.
Her interest in accessibility also became an important part of her culinary path. Kavya Verghese worked on nutritious gluten-free and casein-free food and taught people with autism how to prepare GFCF meals. The purpose was not simply to introduce alternative recipes but to help people develop greater independence around food. In this context, cooking became a practical skill as well as a creative activity.
These experiences eventually contributed to the creation of Mex It Up – World on a Plate, her first food venture.
Although the venture began with Mexican cuisine, Kavya Verghese describes a broader vision behind the concept. World on a Plate reflects her experiences of travelling, discovering food and encountering different cultures. Instead of limiting the brand to one cuisine, Kavya Verghese uses her experiences as inspiration for menus, dishes and food experiences.
This approach also reveals an important distinction in her philosophy. Kavya Verghese is not focused on simply reproducing traditional dishes. She speaks about understanding where a dish comes from, respecting its story and then interpreting it through her own creative perspective.
That balance between respect and experimentation is central to her culinary identity.
From Mexican flavours to ideas influenced by travels across Asia and other parts of the world, Kavya Verghese is building a food concept around curiosity. The objective is not only to serve something unfamiliar, but to encourage people to become interested in the flavours, cultures and stories behind what they are eating.
For Kavya Verghese, entrepreneurship therefore extends beyond opening a food venture. It involves bringing together different parts of her journey: childhood experiences with food restrictions, family influence, culinary education, professional kitchens, travel, accessibility and creative experimentation.
Her story also demonstrates how an early challenge can influence the direction of a career without defining its limits. The food restrictions Kavya Verghese experienced as a child became part of the reason she began thinking differently about ingredients and possibilities. Years later, that curiosity continues to influence how she approaches food.
The journey of Kavya Verghese is ultimately about creating connections through food. Between cultures and people. Between travel and cooking. Between tradition and interpretation. Between limitations and possibilities.
As Founder and Head Chef at Mex It Up – World on a Plate, Kavya Verghese is bringing these ideas together one plate at a time. Her work reflects a belief that food can be more than something we consume. It can be a way to explore unfamiliar cultures, understand stories, discover new flavours and become more open to experiences outside our usual choices.
