Private Chef Cornwall

a little bit about me

Here is a little bit about me...Chef Fiona. I am originally from New Zealand but have been living and working in the Westcountry, from Bristol to Cornwall for quite a few years now. I love food so not only do I enjoy cooking, I love eating good food too. Sourcing local, seasonal and ethically produced ingredients is key to my cooking ethos.

Growing up in multi cultural New Zealand has greatly influenced my approach to cooking. My eclectic style is very much a culmination of my life experiences. It comes naturally to me to experiment and incorporate diverse flavours and methods into dishes. It is so exciting fusing styles, techniques and flavours together, then tasting them. Travelling, combined with ongoing reading, researching and of course eating, are hugely important in shaping my style. I would like to think that I have a broad knowledge of food, but there is always so much more to learn and that certainly keeps life interesting. If I hear of something unfamiliar, I will go to great lengths to discover the unknown.

In my spare time I enjoy the tranquil restorative nature of home and the garden. I regularly do yoga and love to travel. It is pure joy for me being buffetted about on a blustery coastal walk, looking for rare birds, foraging, exploring nature and historical ruins, especially on remote Scottish islands. We keep a flock of rare breed chickens, grow our own fruit, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, make cider, wines, preserving and the list goes on.... 

Chef Fiona NZ - the journey to private chef

In 2015 after a trip to Iceland, I made the decision to step away from fulltime employment. I had no idea where I wanted to go with being self employed - I just knew I did not want to continue working for someone else. Years of high stress levels caused by working incredibly long hours in occasionally toxic environments, unrealistic budget targets, staffing challenges and the usual corporate control, I was exhausted. I knew that this was not good for me, I knew this was not what I wanted to be a part of anymore. I seriously considered giving up being a chef altogether and began training to become a counsellor. I did some relief chef work in my spare time and found I was in demand for this. I enjoyed the change of not having the responsibility of running a kitchen and actually feeling able to switch off from work when my shifts had finished was a bit of a culture shock. However, I knew this was not something I wanted to continue with long term and I felt frustration working in kitchens that lacked organisation and decent food.

A couple of months in, I covered a private dining gig for a chef friend and loved the experience. I realised this was the direction I wanted to go. It was incredible having such close interaction with the client and their guests. This felt right. It was so liberating after years of being hidden away in hotel and restaurant kitchens, having to methodically cook the same menus day in, day out. Even though I was a head chef, I did not have full creative control over the dishes I cooked. I had to cook menus that were ultimately controlled by the boardroom, designed for the masses and not the individual. My creativity felt repeatedly stifled. I doubted my own ability as a result.

Suddenly I felt a new freedom to be able to create and cook different things all the time and my clients were enjoying it. Amazing!! I completed the first part of my counselling training and have put that on hold for now. I may go back to it, I may not. What I do know is that sometimes, a positive change is all that is needed to reignite a passion and for me that’s food. And so Chef Fiona NZ - Private Chef was established …The rest is history…