Two major connections between Madras and London are ending: the British Council Library and the century-old Veeraswamy restaurant. Veeraswamy, founded in 1926, is closing not due to lack of customers but because its property lease owned by the Crown Estate will not be renewed. A petition is being prepared to present to King Charles in hopes of saving it. Contrary to popular belief, Veeraswamy was not started by a Madras chef. It was founded by Edward Palmer, who launched Veerasawmy & Co. in 1896 to export curry powder to the UK under the brand Nizam. The Palmer family had deep ties to Hyderabad through marriages. Edward Palmer, likely born of a Muslim family linked with India, used the Hindu-sounding name Veerasawmy as a marketing tool inspired by typical Madras servants' names. He moved to England in the late 1800s and succeeded in the curry powder business. In 1924, he advised the Indian Government on catering at the British Empire Exhibition, which led to opening the Veeraswamy restaurant in 1926. The restaurant's early menu featured Madras Chicken Curry and Rice. Palmer also wrote an Indian cookbook credited to E.P. Veerasawmy, highlighting Tamil culinary terms and many dishes named with Madras as a prefix. He celebrated Madras’s rich food culture, known especially for vadais and curries using curry pastes. Palmer retired by 1930 after selling his restaurant interest and later lectured on Indian cuisine before his death in 1947. Veeraswamy's closing marks the end of a unique symbol of British-Indian culinary links rooted in Madras traditions.