Renée
Community Chef
Hi, my name is Renée, and I am the community chef here at the lovely Paper Garden.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking and have done so from a very young age. As an early teen, my friends and I would get together to host barbecues for ourselves or cook large meals, which we’d all sit and eat together. Cooking for groups of people brings me so much joy.
My journey has included running my own vegan street food business for six years, cooking whole food meals as the head chef in a democratic school, and providing private catering for individuals and families.
After having my son in 2012, I really immersed myself in nature. I am inner-city through and through, and whilst my childhood was great, times have now changed. I wanted more for my son. This led me into the amazing world of holistic health and wellbeing, foraging, herbal preparations, and so much more. I then learned how to use wild foods to create delicious meals both at home and around a campfire.
I love involving the children and seeing the glee on their faces – from harvesting and tasting wild foods to lighting the fire over which we then collectively cook. When I saw the role advertised for community chef, I knew it was for me. Working with children and showing them how much joy the outdoor world, coupled with cooking, can bring is a dream. Inner-city children really need this, and I’m so glad I can be a part of making it happen.