Ed Sheeran at Avartana
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
You could not have missed Ed Sheeran’s tall chef’s hat in his latest music video, ‘Sapphire’, set in India.
While Ed beams cheerfully from under the hat in the ITC Grand Chola’s Avartana kitchen for only for a few seconds, Chef Mayank Kulshrestha, area executive chef, Southern Region, ITC Hotels, who was in the kitchen when Ed shot the video, said the performer spent an hour with the team, curious to learn how their menu came together. “He flipped some coin parottas and tried his hand at sautéing and steaming,” says Mayank, adding “He tried the lobster, fish, and Uthukuli butter chicken.”
Mere months after his six- city India tour, Ed Sheeran released ‘Sapphire’ (part of his new upcoming album Play) in collaboration with Indian singer Arijit Singh. The song was just picking up momentum and finding its spot on trending charts when Ed dropped a music video that surprised the country. It featured actor Shah Rukh Khan, Arijit, and snippets from Ed’s tour across India.
The video, which is light, vibrant and fun, has over 2 million views and counting.
Ed stayed at the ITC Grand Chola during his two-day visit to the city and dined at Avartana on both days. Avartana, the hotel’s Southern Indian restaurant, has garnered numerous awards, including rankings of number 30 and 44 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023 and 2024.
British singer Ed Sheeran performs live in a concert during his ‘The Mathematics Tour to India’
| Photo Credit:
Mark Surridge via PTI Photo
During the tour, Ed played tourist whenever he could, riding in autos, getting massages, sightseeing, and sampling local food. “This is kind of a selfish trip for me because I came here to be a tourist and spent the last two days just going around the city,” he had said during his Chennai show which saw a footfall of approximately 50,000.
“He was a very curious person, and anything creative requires curiosity and enthusiasm. He was very lively and said he didn’t want to disturb us. Ed told me this was for a music video and asked us to just keep operating as usual. So we were preparing for the evening shift, and all the stations were busy,” says Mayank.
Ed Sheeran performs live in a concert during his ‘The Mathematics Tour to India’
| Photo Credit:
Mark Surridge via PTI Photo
“He loved our triple-distilled rasam and joked about how he could write a song just for this,” says Shaariq Akhtar, general manager, ITC Grand Chola. To welcome him to the Karikalan Chola presidential suite at ITC Grand Chola, the team built a miniature replica of Portman Road Stadium in chocolate. This is the home of the Ipswich Town Football Club. “Ed Sheeran is a huge football fan, and he supports Ipswich Town. He was thrilled because other hotels he stays at usually focus on him and his music, but this is an interest I share with him, so he loved that,” adds Shaariq.
Another moment from Ed’s stay at ITC Grand Chola, which also features in the music video, was one of him getting a true street-style head massage from A Sandeep, a long-time member of the 85-year-old Kerala Hair Dressers in Pondy Bazaar. “He got the massage on the roof of the presidential suite,” beamed Shaariq.
As for that tall chef’s hat? Ed autographed it, and gave it to Chef Mayank. So now the chefs can blare Sapphire and dance to ‘Don’t you end the party, I could do this all week’ the next time they make parottas and Uthukuli butter chicken.
Ed Sheeran’s eighth studio Play will release on September 12, 2025
Published – June 13, 2025 03:25 pm IST
