Jan 12, 2020
www.rachelmatthewswriter.co.uk/post/wecooklondon
IG: @rachelmatthewswrites / @creativeconnections
Jen Woodberry: Artist, Musician, Thai Boxer, Chef, Founder.
IG: @bychefjen / @wecooklondon
I'm back after the Christmas break to bring you more creative interviews with amazing guests, such as my next guest Jenny Woodberry, London's tastiest healthy chef, food writer and the food prep queen that founded, We Cook London.
The We Cook team of professional chefs create home cooking solutions for busy Londoners by cooking fresh, healthy meals in the comfort of your own home.
Jenny shares her personal journey with food and being an entrepreneur, which started when she was Thai Boxing competitively and prepping healthy meals for the team so they could meet their training goals. This was the start of something much bigger, she started her blog Miss Fighting Fit and was later cast for the BBC Two show, The Chef's Brigade.
After the six weeks on the show working for a Michelin-starred chef to compete with Europe's finest restaurants, she crashed back down to reality. She reflects on the impact the show had on her career and how she picked up the business where she left off.
Jenny is also a singer-songwriter and draws comparisons between songwriting and recipe writing. She breaks down the creative aspects of her business and tells me how she experiments with food and pushes herself to learn inside and outside of the kitchen continuously.
What I love most about Jenny's experience is that she has been in all kinds of kitchens, from soup kitchens to fine-dining restaurants, warehouse canteens to her local fishmongers. She reflects on how the least glamorous work environments have provided the best place to improve her practice and leadership skills.
Jenny is one of the most down-to-earth people I have met, and she has a clear passion for succeeding in business. Maybe one day we will see the We Cook London's healthy food revolution - where weekly visits from a personal chef replace the many Deliveroo takeaways!
But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy our chat, and if you do, I'd very much appreciate you taking a moment to rate, review and subscribe to help other's find the podcast.
Time Stamps
03:15: Art, music and Thai boxing:
05:14: Influence fighting had on her blog Miss Fighting Fit
08:10: Meal prepping for the Thai boxing team
14:15: Growing confidence and holding yourself back
18:00: BBC Two TV show, Chef’s Brigade
19:40: Filming the show
24:25: Improving knowledge gaps
29:50: Experimenting
31:45: Recipe writing vs songwriting
33:45: Research when eating out and travelling
40:50: Restarting the business after the TV show
45:45: Spotting a gap in the market to start a business
48:20: Developing the business model