A little about me, myself and I...

I grew up down yonder on some little islands in the Southern Hemisphere called New Zealand, or Aotearoa; the land of the long white cloud... and sheep.

It was a pretty idyllic existence from all accounts, summers at the beach, BBQ’s, freshly caught seafood and lush summer fruits. Winters were spent eating warming stews and freezing on the weekend playing sports in the elements.

Food and drink were pretty prominent in my life growing up. We are particularly social creatures us Antipodeans, so eating and drinking with friends and family is a daily occurrence. My love of feeding people comes from my grandparents, they made the most delicious classic dishes, baked amazingly, and pickled and preserved well.

After I finished high school, I spent several years at University whilst working in a local restaurant part-time. My concentration for massive lecture halls faded quickly and my desire to cook grew more and more. With this, I decided to leave and I moved across the ditch to Sydney, Australia.

In Sydney I completed a 4 year TAFE apprenticeship, whilst working in fine dining restaurants. After this I continued on that path for several more years at which time I was lucky enough to work with the likes of Matt Fleming, Colin Fassindge, Simon Gregory, and Michael Meredith in some of Australia’s hatted restaurants. Having this exposure has been instrumental in my passion for fresh, seasonal, and down right tasty food.

As time went by and my desire to travel the world took hold, I wanted to combine both this and food together, so embarked on an adventure on the high seas on private super yachts. With that opportunity, I was fortunate enough to have travelled to places such as continental Europe, Greenland, Canada, US, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Galapagos. From those travels, I have been lucky enough to be exposed to so many different cultures, which has in turn, shown me many people’s different passions for food and their perspectives on it. Yachts also lead me to work with world renowned chefs in their kitchens and it also gave me the chance to eat and experience places I never imagined I would. 

After nearly eight years on the high seas, I decided to plant my feet on land and that’s when I welcomed Cambridge as my new home.

From 2012 I was a partner in a local hospitality business helping to expand this and opening new premises with a contemporary cafe. I departed this in May 2019 to embark on a new direction. That’s when The Modern Table was born!

With The Modern Table, my vision is clear, each client is different and unique to the next so planning, meal design, and service is tailored to them and their brief. I can’t wait to hear all about your party or event soon!