Ali Imdad

Ali Imdad was born in the heart of the Asian community of Birmingham and has remained there since; living with his mother, four siblings and violently adorable cat Pebbles. 

After studying Business and Marketing at University of Leicester, he shifted directions and fell in love with baking. He appeared on the Great British Bake Off in 2013 and then again in 2016 for the Great Christmas Bake Off. He just missed out on Star Baker that year and has been bitter ever since.

Ali now owns and runs his own cafe and patisserie called Cocoa by Ali in Birmingham. He loves writing about food, religion, culture and the struggles of marginalised people growing up in an increasingly-polarised world. 

Colours of Summer, the first writing project he's ever undertaken, is a culmination of all these passions and is told through the velvety-rich settings of 18th Century India and 21st Century Mayfair.