I am the founder of Hey! Food is Ready, a platform that connects chefs from diverse cultural backgrounds with corporate events across the UK. I was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in Art & Culture (2025) and have received both the Young Innovator and Inclusive Innovation Awards from Innovate UK for my work promoting diversity through food.
Growing up, I developed a deep love for food and travel. My father’s work selling and hauling mining equipment kept our family on the move, frequently relocating to cities near new mining sites in China. Every time we moved, my dad would take me on late-night food adventures at bustling local night markets, creating a secret tradition. These escapades became a lasting way for me to connect with him and discover a world of flavours, one night at a time.
Having lived in so many cities, I came to believe that the best way to understand a culture and its history is through its food. I have visited more than 40 countries, and my most meaningful memories weren’t made at famous landmarks but in local kitchens: learning to cook ropa vieja in Havana, hand-rolling pasta for beef ragù in Florence, making pad thai in Chiang Mai, and sharing those meals with families around the world. These experiences instilled in me the belief that every dish carries history and tells a story.
When I moved to the UK to study at Durham University, I found that while international foods were easy to find, their authentic flavours and cultural significance were often lost in translation. The dishes I tried in the UK rarely matched the vibrant, soulful versions I had experienced while travelling.
I began hosting potluck dinners with my international friends and discovered that they were cooking the same dishes I had tasted in the night markets of Bangkok or the bustling food stalls of Varanasi. Those experiences became the inspiration behind Hey! Food is Ready.
Through the platform, home and professional cooks can sell meals, express their histories, and earn a meaningful income. I now work with over 100 cooks from more than 60 countries, sharing flavours from Brazil, Ukraine, Zambia, and beyond.
