My Education

Never would I have thought after leaving school and a multitude of different career paths, I would go on a deep dive into the wonderful world of food and become a chef. This is a self-led interest with help along the way from books, friends and travel experiences; always keen for new adventures and learning opportunities. I would go as far as saying I'm completely obsessed about food, our bodies and the eco-system we have an impact on, simply by growing, consuming and preserving food.

The pass at The Charterhouse, London.

I can't remember a time where I haven't been curious about food. This is peculiar really, because I grew up on council estates in Scotland and England; my mother worked hard after her marriage broke down to raise four children between periods of employment and state benefits, and food usually consisted of basic and beige menus. We'd usually have fresh fruit once a week with the food shop (brought home with us in a taxi from Asda), which was rationed between four hungry children with quite the appetite.

The benefits my mum received were just enough to provide a basic diet in the 90s of pre-packed UPF foods, tinned vegetables and occasionally fresh fruit and meat. Eating the rainbow didn't exist, neither did the informed awareness of how/when/what you eat having an enormous impact on your gut microbiome and therefore, the rest of your body. I usually went to bed hungry and my school packed lunches consisted of a packet of 10p crisps, a chocolate bar and a peanut butter white bread sandwich.

So where did this vivacious appetite for culinary adventures come from?

My earliest memories of trying new foods came from school, dinner at friend's houses, being taken out to dinner by my older (more affluent) relatives, and the most exciting: swapping my less-healthier lunchbox options for those of my peers in the dinner hall. When we were eligible for Free School Meals, my lunch time options were broadened and I was probably one of the few students in primary and secondary school that chose the ratatouille or casseroles as their dish of choice, rather than the curly fries with soggy thin hamburgers/greasy pizza. How lucky was I to eat a plate of flavourful, colourful food.

At primary school age, I was invited to a friend's house after school for dinner, her family were of a different ethnicity to me and I vividly remember eating fajitas for the first time in the sun in her garden with the family around the table. A few new concepts there that were new to me. The flavours blew my uneducated little brain and I couldn't believe my eyes or tastebuds; these spices and flavours, family meal times, new cultures, dishes and bowls piled high with treasures waiting to be discovered. I couldn't believe my luck.

From this early age, I would choose foods I had never had before whenever the opportunity arose: taste-testing when a teacher brought in a star fruit and passionfruit to school for us all to try; ordering a tiger prawn salad at a restaurant with my great-aunt; choosing fulfilling options from the dinner lady. The list goes on.

Fast-forward quite a few years, and three babies later, one April I fell very unwell and was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder. A childhood/adolescence of stress and trauma, an undiagnosed neurodivergent brain, and genetic disposition, lead me to a period of my life I find difficult to relive. Nearly four years' on from there, I'm working on my education of how the gut microbiome's state of wellness is a direct indicator of overall health, and how auto-immune disorders and mental health are significantly influenced by diet. Because of this journey of self-discovery, I've thrown myself into my chef career with under-pinning values that are non-negotiable and focus on eating fresh, natural, nutritious and sustainable foods that bring us joy and togetherness as a community. My studies continue...

I sincerely hope to write a cookery book when I have a story that is ready to tell; one that is brimming with rich and inspiring experiences, colour and almost tangible flavours. Because I am inspired by the world around me, using food as a language that I can digest and reinterpret, to then express myself through a variety of written, photographic, and physical medium, brings me great pleasure.

Areas of interest:

+ Chef / cooking, baking, preparing

+ Sustainable and ethical farming

+ Gut microbiome and gut health

+ Mental health and wellness

+ Neurology and biology

+ Dietetics and nutrition

+ Soil health and structure

+ Community, togetherness and family

+ Foraging and Self-sufficiency

+ Food as medicine

+ Food psychology

+ Food culture, tradition and heritage

+ History of food

+ Anthropology

+ Heritage and rare breeds

+ Organic farming

+ Local produce

+ Seasonal

+ Food language

+ Food writing and documentary

+ Food travel

+ Mediterranean diet and lifestyle

+ Food and its role with neurodivergent brains

+ Re-wilding and re-greening spaces

+ Food education for children and adults

+ Grow your own kitchen gardens

Much like seasons, there is always change on the horizon, but I embrace the present and enjoy the harvest of the moment, reflect on what privileges we have had, whilst having awareness of the next adventures to come.