I began life as an MRC Research Psychologist in health at Birmingham University Medical School, before joining the NHS Training Division as Programme Manager for Strategic Training Programmes.
’Jumping ship’, I became a free-lance Management and Organisational Development consultant to the NHS and my last ‘real’ job was to establish and co-head a midlands’ management consultancy for the social housing industry and the growing Housing Association sector.
In (ahem) ’mid-life’, my life-long passion for food and for looking after people took over and drew me to Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, where Ireland’s culinary icons turned me into a chef.  Sited on a 200 acre organic farm near Cork,  Ballymaloe is renowned for its holistic approach and for training chefs to cook ‘real food’.  Above all, I learned how all life and good nutrition starts with good soil and how great food comes from traditionally farmed, grown and produced ingredients.
And, so my life began a new chapter … as a real food ambassador, nutritional chef & tutor, speaker and writer – helping people to live and work better by ditching processed foods and have FUN learning how to source and cook affordable, real food, from scratch.  I’m also a Weston A Price Foundation Chapter Leader for Birmingham – which promotes the health benefits of traditional, nutrient-dense foods.
‘Once Upon a Cook…Food Wisdom, Better Living’ is a small hands-on cookery school in Earlswood, near Solihull and a growing ‘real food’ information website.