Meet The Little Sri Lankan - offering unique food in unique environments
Perhaps you're looking for some unique, delicious food for your private event - or maybe for an intimate dining experience where you get to know the chefs and fellow diners as much as the food. The Little Sri Lankan offers both, and more.
Already boasting a dedicated following, this local business was founded by chefs Malanie and Michael in 2020, during the first Covid lockdown.
The pair have around 22 years of cooking experience in kitchens across the world, from Australia to London.
Inspired by the recipes of Malanie's family, the pair came up with the idea of a catering business producing Sri Lankan cuisine. From corporate events to weddings, markets to supper clubs, The Little Sri Lankan sets out to provide the comfort of time-honoured meals to residents of Stockport and beyond.
After growing the business during lockdown, Malanie and Michael began to host supper clubs and appear at pop-up markets as society re-opened.
"The market is a good way of pulling people in", Michael says. "People can get accustomed to the flavours of Sri Lanka because they come in with a more open mind."
Malanie adds: "They know Indian, they know Thai, but they might not know Sri Lankan. So if you get a familiar product like a toastie - for example, we make a spicy potato, pea, and red onion toastie - you can introduce people to Sri Lankan cuisine."
Markets, then, are one of the places where you can find The Little Sri Lankan. However, the business also hosts supper clubs which are quickly increasing in popularity.
Malanie and Michael host supper clubs in restaurants, breweries, and even in their own house.
This latter experience is described by Malanie as a 'friends around for dinner' style - customers bring their own bottles, and are treated to four courses.
As Michael explains: "For us, it's much more homely, and you feel a lot more relaxed.
"It's a social hub where people meet, and talk about their interests, which usually revolve around food, drink and travel.
"Restaurants have separate tables. The way we do it is you sit on one long table, which means new people get to know each other."
Yet despite the cozier environment, diners are still treated to full explanations of the courses, the stories behind the dishes, and more. Here, the pair's world-ranging acumen and years of cooking experience is very much visible.
As Malanie says: "We still do our explanations of Sri Lankan dishes and where they come from - where the food influences come from, where the ingredients come from, whether they're native to Sri Lanka - we're trying to show the difference between the foods of cultures around the world."
The Little Sri Lankan, then, operates in a range of settings. But what can diners expect from Sri Lankan food?
"It's very fragrant", Malanie says. "It uses a lot of coconut, lime, lemongrass, cinamon. The dishes can be lighter.
"You get the tang, you get the spice, you get the sweetness."
She goes on to describe how Sri Lanka has been controlled by Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and India - even France controlled the Sri Lankan harbour of Trincomalee for a few months. The history of the country has in turn seeped into the flavours of its food; "It's an amalgamation of all these types of cuisine embedded in the food.
"Food and history are very connected. It's good to learn different aspects of a country - why they eat that food, how it got to the country. It's good to keep learning about other people."
Michael, meanwhile, was a newcomer to Sri Lankan food when he met Malanie.
"I just knew about French and English cuisine", he explains. "I met Malanie, and then she asked me if I wanted to come to London to meet her mum.
"They cooked me Sri Lankan food, and I was like, 'This is the most incredible food I've ever had.'"
Michael adds: "Trying other foods means you are less likely to take things for granted. If you travel to other countries and see other cultures, you understand things a lot more.
"In this country, food isn't as much of an important thing for people. But if you go to Europe, you go to Asia - food is loved.
"Music, history, food and culture - it all goes hand in hand."
The business has already created a warm, close eating community. For those who want to join, Malanie simply says: "Come and try our food!"
To book a supper club spot, or find events and more information, visit The Little Sri Lankan website HERE.
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