An ace Pastry Chef, Chefpreneur, Entrepreneur, Chef & Founder Star Anise Fine Foods, Co-Founder of Gourmelange Hospitality LLP and a seasoned F&B professional, Chef Anees has risen to the top of the culinary world since winning the “Chef Entrepreneur Of The Year Award” by WICA in the year 2018.  Chef Anees was was also conferred as one of the “Top Most Hospitality Icons” of the year by Asia food congress & awards, 2023. He has been awarded as “Chef Entrepreneur Of The Year Award” by Better Kitchen popular choice awards in the year 2023 and also “Popular Choice Entrepreneur Chef” by FBAI in the year 2023. Chef Anees recently has been awarded “The Patisserie Maestro Of India” 2024 by Better Kitchen Awards.

His pet project “Star Anise Patisserie” at various locations in Mumbai are a toast for many Mumbaikars and is flourishing with amazing guest feedback and positive comments. Star Anise Patisserie was declared the “Best Bakery Of The Year”- Mumbai in 2023 by Food Connoisseurs India Awards

Hailing from Orissa, Anees Khan graduated from IHM Chennai in 1997. He went on to join The Leela
Kempinski in Mumbai. A year in the hot kitchen later, he found himself in the patisserie kitchen of the
hotel, where he trained and worked under expatriate pastry chefs, who showed exquisite and fine pastry
skills. Anees has trained under the Swiss Master Pastry Chef Beat Loeffel, who is credited to have changed
the patisserie kitchen in India. Soon after he became the Head the Pastry kitchen of The Leela, Goa,
where he managed the millennium festivities and mastered fusion and Asian desserts.

A year later, chef Anees joined Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, as their Chef De Partie
and brushed shoulders with some of the best talents in Canada. Anees returned to India in 2001 and joined
hands with celebrity chef Moshe Shek in Mumbai to set up his bakery kitchen, and design desserts for his
various delis, cafes and restaurants. When in 2004, he felt the need to get back into the mainstream, he
joined Hyatt Regency, Mumbai, as a Sous Chef, Pastry.

He then moved to Goa, to join The Leela again, as their Pastry Chef. During his tenure here, he served
among many other high-profile guests, then US president Bill Clinton and his entourage. His next move
was to Egypt, as the Executive Pastry Chef at JW Marriott in Cairo. Here he mastered the craft involved
in Arabic desserts and learned the bedrocks of Middle Eastern Cuisine. In 2007, he was invited as the
Pastry Chef for Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski, Dar Es Salaam, to revamp their patisserie and impart
training. He also served the likes of multiple International cricketers. During his stint here, he received
recognition as the best pastry chef in the region.

His next stop on the world map was Oman, where he joined Six Senses Resort & Spa, as their Executive
Pastry Chef. The stint brought along immense exposure as he worked with chefs of 35 nationalities.
Among the famous patrons of his creations here were Rowan Atkinson, Robin Williams, and cricketers
like Andrews Strauss. Later, he completed Advanced Gelato Training at Bolognia, Italy. In 2010, he
returned to Mumbai to pursue his dream of setting up a premium catering company. He set up Star Anise
Fine Foods & Leisure Pvt. Ltd. (SAFFL), bringing to it his 20 years of culinary experience working for
several International five-star hotels across the world.