Successful Liverpool restaurateur Nisha Katona, founder of the Mowgli chain, has been installed as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. Tony McDonough reports

Barrister-turned successful restaurateur, Nisha Katona, has been installed as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) at a ceremony at the weekend.

Ms Katona, who has overseen the rapid growth of her Mowgli Street Food chain, said she was “hugely honoured and proud” to be chosen as the sixth figurehead of the university. The ceremony, presided over by Vice-Chancellor Mark Power, took place at LJMU on Saturday, March 26. She is the first alumnus (law, 1995) to be named as Chancellor.

Ms Katona said: “It’s very humbling to head this wonderful institution which has been such a part of my life. I am Liverpool in my heart and in my home. I am proud of my roots and I am proud to be a graduate from LJMU. I look forward to the part I can play as Chancellor of this great university.”

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After practising as a barrister for more than 20 years, Ms Katona opened her first Mowgli outlet in Bold Street in Liverpool in 2014. She had already written three cookery books prior to this and was known as ‘the Curry Evangelist’ on YouTube. However, she had vowed never to open a restaurant.

Now there are 13 Mowgli outlets across the UK. In October 2021 it was announced that the business would be employing 700 people by the middle of 2022. Late last year it opened a restaurant in Charlotte Street in London.

Mowgli’s concept is rooted in her own family’s cooking heritage. After opening her first restaurant she made another pledge that would also eventually be broken: “Not a bone in my body that wanted to give up any equity.”

But that too quickly changed when she was convinced of the growth potential of the Mowgli brand. In 2017, when Mowgli was operating just two restaurants – one in Liverpool and one in Manchester – Foresight Group recognised its potential and injected £3.5m of growth capital into the business. Since then, the expansion has been rapid.

Ormskirk-born Ms Katona continues to make regular appearances on television, as well as running Mowgli and the Mowgli Trust charity. She also speaks at national level on entrepreneurship and women’s leadership.

Last summer, she was selected to join the new Hospitality Council, a team of industry experts assembled to deliver the government’s Hospitality Strategy to help firms to recover and become more resilient following the pandemic.

LJMU Vice-Chancellor Mark Power added: “As our first alumni Chancellor, we couldn’t have a better ambassador, advocate and role model for our students and staff than Nisha, while her business acumen and leadership in areas entrepreneurship reflect our institutional mission.

“Her extraordinary career is an inspiration to many and I look forward to working with her as we plan our 200th anniversary in 2023 and the next chapters in our story.”

Ms Katona takes over the role from Sir Brian Leveson who became LJMU’s fifth Chancellor in 2013 and became Emeritus Chancellor on March 26.