As she releases Rooza, the celebrity chef talks about discrimination, dining and Dubai.

Chef Nadiya Hussain is a national treasure in the United Kingdom, and it feels like she’s part of every British family. She won hearts as the champion of The Great British Bake Off, created a cake for the Queen’s 90th birthday, and released bestselling cookbooks that appear in kitchens across the country. Now, she has written her most personal book yet, Rooza: A Journey Through Islamic Cuisine inspired by Ramadan and Eid. Speaking from her home in Luton, England, FACT chatted with her about recipes, religion and representation.

Nadiya was born and raised in Luton, and hails from a British Bangladeshi family. Her father was a chef, and owned a restaurant. She taught herself to bake by watching YouTube videos and reading recipe books. In 2015, more than 15 million people watched as she won The Great British Bake Off. Since then, she has released TV cookery shows and countless cookbooks, and is a rarity in the industry: a female British Muslim chef.   

Traditions, timings and trails 

Rooza, which refers to fasting, explores a special part of Nadiya’s identity. Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam, and marks when the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Mohammed PBUH. Muslims across the world fast from sunrise to sunset. When meal times arrive, food takes on a stronger significance, and provides a time for reflection.

Nadiya explains: “I grew up in a large family. We never knew who we were going to have around to break our fast. Somebody could come from Bangladesh. We always had plates coming in and out. We would send food to my grandparents or my uncle. We didn’t go out to eat. We kept it simple.”

Rooza brings together 30 recipes from 30 countries, from Singapore to Syria. The recipes include Kleicha Date Swirled Cookies from Iraq, Lablebi Chickpea Stew from Tunisia, and Tagine De Poulet from Algeria. Nadiya shares: “I want people to sense how wonderful, vibrant, beautiful and serene Ramadan can be. I hope I did it justice by showing that Muslims all over the world celebrate and cook in different ways.”

“We have a formulaic way of celebrating. On the morning of Eid, the kids wake up. I buy a kilo of Smarties and put them in colour order. The trail leads them to their presents. We drive to Leeds to my in-laws, and drive down to see my parents. The following day, I get a bouncy castle, fry up samosas and invite people around”.

Religion and representation

Given that Rooza focuses on a religious festival, who is the book aimed at? Nadiya exclaims: “Everyone! It’s for anyone who is inspired by different countries and cuisines. This isn’t just a Muslim book for Muslim people. Absolutely not. It’s a huge part of lots of people’s lives. To share that in a book is beautiful. There are people who will read the title or recipes, and feel like they were included. As a Muslim woman, writing a book like this is huge – it feels weighty.”

While Rooza has received positive reviews, there was an initial backlash. Nadiya shared the details of the book on her Instagram account, which has more than 900,000 followers – but found she lost some. She recalls: “It was interesting because it was lots of people. It shook me up a bit. I’m sharing a massive part of my life. If you trust me, this should not affect how you react to the book. It was a huge eye-opener. I felt it was important to call it out. For a minute, all those reservations that I had about the book felt real. I had to tell myself, ‘You’ve worked hard on this book, it means a lot to you, and you need to be proud of it’.”

The Centre of Media Monitoring issued a report about the representation of Muslims in the United Kingdom. Between 2018 and 2020, it found that that 47 per cent of clips broadcast about Muslims presented them in a negative light. In the country, it’s rare to see Muslims celebrating their identity. So, what’s the best thing about being a British Muslim? 

Nadiya pauses: “There would have been a time where I would have hidden away from it. I’m used to walking into rooms where I’m the only version – there’s only one of me. I’m trying to step into that. The best things about being British Muslim and in this industry is that I get to open up a space for people. That keeps me going. Every time I feel like I don’t want to do this anymore because social media is too difficult or people are mean, it’s that moment where I realise that being a British Muslim woman in the public eye is huge”.

Away from the kitchen   

When Nadiya isn’t cooking, she is mum to three children. She is a big fan of reading books, watching horror movies, and has recently taken up archery. Her guilty pleasures include Love is Blind and Married at First Sight. Her favourite restaurants in London include Darjeeling Express (“the keema toasties are unreal”), and Dishoom (“the crispy okra is like nothing I’ve ever tasted”).

Nadiya is fond of the Middle East, and has visited the UAE. She shares: “My son and husband have flown out to Saudi Arabia today to do Umrah. My daughter is desperate to go to Dubai. I’ve done the Emirates Literature Festival Festival. If you go outside of the malls and the fancy parts, it’s beautiful. I’d like to explore more. I’ve also been to Doha”.

In 2025, she turned 40 years old, and recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. She concludes: “Turning 40 was a huge milestone. Doing a job like this has been one of the most taxing things I’ve ever done in my life – physically, emotionally and mentally. All I’ve done up to now is practice. Now, I’m not here to practice anymore. This is who I am.”

Nadiya Hussain: we love exactly who you are. 

GO: Visit www.nadiyahussain.com for more information.