Isabel Natrins

isobelI 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.