Meeting my Idol, Sir Alex Ferguson

I’ve grown up a Manchester United fan. My mum fed the footballers as their careers rocketed and they still frequent Sweet Mandarin -and she swears it must be our curry that is their secret ingredient to success. So when I met Sir Alex Ferguson it was an amazing day. In actual fact, I was going to HK and Beijing with him and the whole Manchester United team – a Football meets Culinary extravaganza. We had an absolute blast and I realised how important my dual citizenship was to bridging the gap between the East and the West. Since then, the tours to China that I lead every year has been a huge cultural and emotional growth spurt for me and for those that join me. Although there is a sea of difference between British culture and Chinese culture (for example, the Chinese never gift clocks as that means death wishes, and the seating plan is extra important as the hierarchy of the table can dictate whether a deal will fly or fail) through these trips, we learn to appreciate each other’s culture through food. There are many tales from China that I would love to share with you, but it would be all the more sweeter if you could join me in person for a Sweet Mandarin Culinary Tour. For more information on my tours to Hong Kong click here.