Sylvia Perera Celebrating Heritage, Family, and Flavour Through Food

Sylvia Perera is the founder of Colombo Kitchen, an award-winning Sri Lankan restaurant business in the UK with locations in Worcester Park and Putney. Launching her first restaurant at the age of 60, she transformed a lifelong passion for cooking into a successful culinary venture rooted in heritage, family, and tradition.  Raised in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Sylvia Perera developed her love for food in a home filled with the aromas of spices, coconut, and seafood. After raising four children, she finally pursued her own dream, building a reputation for authentic Sri Lankan cuisine defined by quality, care, and perseverance across every dish she creates.

Words - Sachini Perera

You launched your first restaurant at 60, after raising four children. What gave you the confidence to finally take that leap, and what was going through your mind at the time?

Cooking was always my passion, but for many years my focus was entirely on my children and family. I wanted to make sure my children finished their education before I pursued my own dream. Once all four of my children had graduated and established themselves professionally, I finally felt it was my time. Friends and family had encouraged me for years to open a restaurant because they loved my cooking and the authenticity of the food. I reached a point where I thought, if I don’t do it now, I may regret it forever. I was nervous, of course, but I also had confidence in my recipes, my experience, and my determination. I opened Colombo Kitchen in Worcester Park in 2019 with the simple hope that people would connect with the food and culture of Sri Lanka the way I had always known it.

Growing up in Negombo, what are some of your strongest food memories from childhood, and how do they still influence your cooking today?

Kurana in Negombo was full of incredible food memories for me. I grew up surrounded by the smell of roasted spices, fresh coconut, seafood straight from the coast, and slow-cooked curries being prepared by the women in my family. My strongest memories are of watching my aunt, who we called Nanda, cooking with patience and care. Everything was made from scratch - grinding fresh curry powders, preparing coconut milk by hand, and cooking slowly so the flavours developed properly. Those memories influence every single dish I make today. I still prepare my roasted curry powders fresh, I still cook in the traditional way, and I still believe food should taste homemade and full of warmth. The recipes at Colombo Kitchen carry those memories and traditions with them.

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