This month we caught up with Manvinder Singh from Mitr Restaurant on Kneesworth Street in Royston.
Manvinder launched Mitr in December 2024, along with his wife Simran who runs front of house. They are proud to call Royston their home. Manvinder is an enthusiast biker, a people’s person, and passionate about cooking.
Mitr means friend in many languages, and their tagline is “Good Food, Good Friends, Good Times”, which encapsulates their ethos: a strong belief in offering an experience rather than just the food and service. They are a community hub for connection, laughter and creating lasting memories.
What inspired you to start your own restaurant?
As a Hotel Management graduate, I always strived for good food which inspired us to create a place of our own. I have 26 years of experience as an Executive Chef with brands like Hyatt, Marriott and Radisson. After working in Jersey in the Channel Islands for 7 years, I had the opportunity to join Sheene Mill as the Executive Head Chef, and not long after that, we had the opportunity to start up our own place here in Royston.
Tell us about the food you offer
We are a multi cuisine restaurant rather than an Indian eatery. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, including the traditional English breakfast to shakshuka, bruschetta and wraps, plus evening meals with pre-plated authentic Indian food. We were keen to change the perception of Indian food being spicy, and instead showcase how flavourful it is. As a Chef, the aspect which makes me happy is that we serve an equal amount of English breakfasts and food from different cuisines, which is really heartening. Having a limited menu in the evening helps us to cook fresh food from scratch every day. One of our most popular dishes is the Bunny Chow, a much loved South African curry delicacy, which we serve inside a sourdough loaf.
We see you’ve recently opened on Sundays: how is that going?
Our Indian Sunday Roast is becoming popular and we are building lot of regular guests. We also serve our regular all day menu on Sundays.
What do you particularly love about Royston?
Royston has wonderful people who are always very friendly and supportive. It’s the perfect blend: not as quiet as the neighbouring villages, yet not as busy as Hitchin and Stevenage.
What is your favourite local shop?
My favourite places in town are the Cave shop and La Bella Vita – they have the creme de la creme collection.
When you’re not working, what is your favourite way to spend the day?
Having lived in Jersey for a long time, my favourite way to spend my day is walking by the beaches.
What makes you happy?
Empty plates! I always keep a check and if a guest doesn’t finish the food, I always check in with them.
If you ruled the world, what would you do?
I don’t want to rule at all, I just want to be happy.
What has been the most valuable life lesson that you have learnt?
What you do comes back to you.
Who do you most admire?
It’s a what, not a who: Nature. Everything is created with perfection.
