After deciding to refine my ingredient and produce knowledge, I realised that I would have to revolutionise my way of cooking completely! To understand what real food is has meant that I had to understand what, where and how my ingredients are farmed and delivered to my cutting board. My approach to cooking has now become what I call “Root to fruit” cooking. Using and maximising the entire product to reduce wastage has challenged me to be more creative, more respectful of ingredients and supportive of suppliers and farmers.
My search for organic, pesticide-free, GMO and antibiotic- free produce is core to my cooking nutritional meals that are not only good for the body, but of high nutritional value. Working closely with producers and farmers, I very quickly realised the lack of biodiversity in the food community. The challenges we face as a global community are channelled through what we eat. Cooking with ingredients that are sustainable and have the lowest carbon footprint has become my food philosophy.
My passion for the environment and ensuring how I cook, eat and live is critical for sustainability and survival of the human species. Longevity in our food systems is purely down to the responsible sourcing of ingredients. As a chef, I can dictate, through sourcing, the understanding of our biodiversity to use local seasonal produce. By doing this, we boost our local food economy and support small -scale farmers and artisans in the trade.
