Vani Shanmugam
Founder, CPHlunchbox

CPHlunchbox was born from a dream: to create a space where I could share my lifelong love of Indian cooking and world cuisine.

Food has been my greatest passion for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest childhood memories trace back to our family kitchen in Southern India. Growing up in a small town, we enjoyed the luxury of both a spacious indoor kitchen and an outdoor one, where traditional stone grinders stood ready for daily cooking. There were no shortcuts—everything was prepared from scratch, whether it was pressing oil, grinding flour at the local mill, or sourcing fresh vegetables and milk from nearby farms.

Sharing recipes and dishes among neighbors was part of everyday life, but no cookbook or formal lesson compared to the wisdom of the village elders. Stirring pots while recounting memories and tales, they passed down not only the secrets of flavor but also lessons in patience, tradition, and life itself.

As my studies and career carried me away from my hometown, I discovered new culinary worlds—from the vibrant bustle of Indian street food to the rich diversity of regional cuisines that deepened my love affair with food. Over the past decade, my travels and time living abroad further enriched this passion, allowing me to embrace and experience global flavors before eventually making Copenhagen my home.

I feel deeply fortunate to have grown up in a countryside kitchen and grateful for the traditions that shaped both me and my cooking. CPHlunchbox is my way of taking you with me—back to that childhood kitchen in Southern India—and of sharing the knowledge, flavors, and stories gathered throughout my lifelong journey of exploring, cooking, and celebrating food.