ABOUT CHEF CARA

Chef Cara offers is a personal chef, that offers private chef, meal prep and catering service designed to assist and enhance peoples day to day lives through designing, preparing and delivering delicious, nutritious, chef-prepared meals.

We aim to address the challenges or obstacles faced by individuals who value good food but find it difficult to cook due to constraints with time, creativity or skills. Our focus is to provide you with the best balanced, bespoke and beautiful dishes to fuel your mind and body for your busy week ahead.

Chef Cara is incredibly passionate about food, nutrition and fitness and believes the food we consume has immense value in how we perform and feel on a day to day basis.

SERVICES

Chef Cara offers a variety of services tailored to the individual - from bespoke meal prep and private cheffing in your home or office, to intimate dinner parties and large-scale events.

Explore our Offering page for ideas, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have something specific in mind - we’re always happy to create something bespoke.

Explore services

Lacking on social content creativity right now post right so here is some B roll of me cheffing for a family in the Cotswolds/Warwickshire last week 🍴😁🙏

Breakfast + great lighting = ✨

And that’s a wrap to 5 days cheffing in Warwickshire x

A few things I’ve knocked up over the past few days

First of many ✨

Thank you to queen casey there would be no evidence of this supper club without her @healthylivingcasey

Sooo I did a thing. My first ever supper club with @rwl @rwlretreat at the wonderful @fivefourstudios (who have an unbelievable team that were beyond helpful!)

I felt pretty anxious/nervous in the lead up to this. Partly because I usually just turn up and cook - I don’t organise or put the event on. And partly because I’ve wanted to do something like this for over 5 years now. Even back when I was sat at a desk job, this felt SO beyond my capabilities, so far away from ever being possible. So when I finally agreed to do it, it felt a little strange!!

I am soooo beyond grateful for everyone who came, those I didn’t know, and those I did. It genuinely means so much to me, and I will always remember the people who have supported me from the very start ❤️ The enjoyment I get from this is purely because of the people, that buzz of energy, the smiles, the laughter. It gives me a high like no other!

Still letting it sink in for now, but proud of myself for doing something uncomfortable and hopefully bringing a touch of joy to some ✨🤗

@wearegoodphats thank you for the gorgeous olive oil
@drinklomi for the gorgeous matcha goods
@drinkrep_ protein shakes

Xxx

when it’s this hot, cooking properly is the first thing to go and snacking instead of eating real meals creeps in! I know this happened to me yesterday and then I crashed in the evening.

so this week’s about doing less: no-cook where you can like some of these salads, or cooking once and eating from it for days. things like a quiche or a tart that just sits in the fridge and tastes better the next day anyway! Or using stuff like mince that takes 10 minutes to cook.

pick one of the ten and see how you get on - the goal isn’t more effort, it’s less admin so you actually eat properly! X

A gorgeous set up for an Italian family style hen dinner in Bath - just starters shown 🇮🇹

Thanks to @lauren_kiely for the pictures and @lucymcullen for booking me! ❤️✨

S’mores brownie recipe 🍫

Made these for an event a couple of weeks ago and they went down so well - also made them for a friend’s baby shower. Rich pillow and crunchy from the biscuits 🤗

12 servings
Digestive crust, fudgy brownie, toasted marshmallow + chocolate top.

Ingredients
* 120 g digestive biscuits (for base)
* 60g unsalted butter, melted (for base)
* 140 g unsalted butter (for brownie)
* 120 g milk and dark chocolate, chopped (for brownie)
* 180 g caster sugar
* 60 g light brown sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 3ml vanilla extract
* 100 g plain flour
* 40g cocoa powder
* 2 ml fine salt
* 80 g mini marshmallows (for top)
* 60 g milk or dark chocolate, chopped (for top)

Method below 👇

I had this random thought on a walk in the Peak District the other day - it was while I was climbing a hill.

I thought why is it that people climb a hill or set a challenge ? Often to get somewhere they really want but then I thought how many people just climb that hill because everyone else is doing that and it seems like the thing to do? Probably a lot including myself 😂

The science bit: this is basically goal setting theory in action. Research from Locke and Latham (one of the most replicated findings in organisational psychology) shows that vague or borrowed goals produce weaker effort and satisfaction than ones a person actually defines for themselves. You can work just as hard toward the wrong goal as the right one, effort isn’t the differentiator, direction is.

There’s also a concept called the “arrival fallacy” (by psychologist Tal Ben Shahar), the belief that reaching a goal will bring lasting satisfaction. Plenty of people summit the hill (promotion, business, body goal) and feel flat, because the hill was never actually theirs to begin with.

Worth pausing to ask why you’re climbing before you’re halfway up!!

In just one week we’ll be hosting our first @rwl supper club ✨🤗🍽️

I can’t quite believe how quick the lead up to this has gone but having now tested all the recipes - I am very excited!!

We’ve only got a few tickets left, so if you’ve been thinking about it - grab one now, link’s in my bio ❤️

@rwl @rwlretreat @fivefourstudios

I realised I don’t really have an “intro to me” post, well this isn’t even one. But this gives you a little insight to me and my journey over the last 10 years of my life!

The truth is I didn’t even leave my job to become a private chef because I didn’t have any clue what I was going to do next 😂 some of the options included just going to another firm, living in Australia and working in the same industry? Trying out a different industry? Going into business with my university friend? Starting my own business? Starting my own clothing wear? Going back to university? Honestly the thoughts were endless but I just knew I was keen to try something new. If I’m entirely honest cheffing was at the bottom of that list because I thought who in gods name would want to hire a chef whose been at an investment bank for the past 4 years failing to even cook for herself 😅

I’m early still in this journey but as a result of simply being curious and definitely saying yes before I felt ready

I’m nearly 3 years into private cheffing (technically 2.5 as I bigged myself up the first year)
I’ve learnt so much more about food and nutrition and as a result qualified as a nutrition coach
Become part of the @rwl family
Cooked in so many beautiful parts of the world for wonderful people
Made so much mess in kitchens (and cleaned up A LOT)
Felt immensely proud at times
But also immensely low (it’s so true about the highs and lows)
Met and befriended people I adore and could never not imagine in my life today

THE LIST GOES ON. I’m basically trying to persuade you to get uncomfortable and pursue your dreams or if you don’t even know your dreams take a few risks and try to find out xxx

I’ve been VERY BEHIND on my weekly updates so here is a collection of the past chaotic few weeks 🎉🥳

Managing work, 3 weddings and more work and trying to rest when I can !!! Thanks to discovering Emily and Paris this has most certainly helped x

How fun is breakfast?! I just love doing brunches - there is something so exciting and unpretentious about the breakfast/brunches. I absolutely love the reaction i get from clients when they wake up to spreads like this. It makes it worthwhile ❤️

Lately I’ve been quite negative not because I don’t love what I do still it’s more because I’m juggling probably too much at the moment and im try to shift away from the mindset of “i’m struggling to do my best” and framing it to tell myself okay Cara this is your limit and your body and mental capacity probably can’t take on much more so = USEFUL INFORMATION

In situations like this I can get a little overwhelmed but this is usually when @maxwell_rodman says to me - “how cool is that you actually get to cook for a living” and it brings me back to reality because that is incredibly cool and i am so grateful that I no longer have to play pretend!!

I’ve found sitting with a feeling for a while is fine because it could be temporary but any longer where it feels like it’s becoming part of your life then it’s time to adjust or use that information to change. By changing nothing, nothing changes.

Peace out enjoy these pretty pictures xxx

Two weeks until I live out my dream of hosting a supper club with @rwl @rwlretreat

Make me happy and grab a ticket for this or send to someone who would love an evening like this.

One intimate room - come alone, with friends family or colleagues.

Four course seasonal summer menu.

A strawberry basil spritz upon arrival ✨

Foodie filled goodie bag to take away!

If you are at all worried about the menu with any dietary preferences, allergies or intolerances just message ☺️

Summer BBQ for 70+.

We catered a proper feast last weekend - around 50 adults, 24 children.

On the menu:

Buttermilk fried chicken, beef burgers, bbq ribs
Caprese pesto pasta salad with peach
Chargrilled corn, avocado feta salad
Sweet potato, walnuts, pomegranate

As well as some fun bits and bobs for the children.

Dessert table: s’mores brownies (these were an absolute JOKE!!!), strawberries, watermelon, cherries, chantilly cream piled high, brown butter cookies.

Thank you to @wellmade_em being an absolute dream and working her beautiful assistance and presentation magic more than I could have ever xxx

Obsessed with this strawberry tiramisu.

I LOVE retreats when I can design the menu and especially when I get to try new dishes on clients I’ve been wanted to for ages.

This strawberry tiramisu has no coffee in it but instead we use strawberry syrup/jam to soak the ladyfingers in this was absolutely divine. I loved it!!

The perfect sharing dessert

#manchesterprivatechef #privatechef

Loved making this this morning for such a wonderful group of ladies on their retreat ❤️

Bagel station with crispy bacon, smoked salmon, whipped cream cheese, capers, heritage tomatoes

GF banana bread

Goats cheese asparagus and pea frittata

Sourdough

Greek yoghurt parfaits

Jams, honey, ect

Fruit, granola

Juices x
#privatechef #manchesterprivatechef

I am hosting my first ever supper club in three weeks, and I must admit I am a little nervous, purely because it’s my first ever event. Now we’ve now sold half of the capacity. It’s now on me to sell the rest!

I promise to anyone who comes this will be a WONDERFUL evening filled with gorgeous food, conversations and a beautiful goodie bag filled with @goodphats olive oil, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, strawberry basil jam and more!

Any questions please let me know ✨

Tickets are in my bio!

the 5 rules I follow for every salad i make 🥗

If you hit these 5 things every time, you’ll actually want to eat it (and feel good after)

1. volume - go big on the leafy base. more volume = more fullness for less calories, and you physically can’t rush through it

2. protein - non negotiable. chicken, prawns, tofu, whatever - without it you’ll be hungry in an hour

3. fibre - veggies + seeds + something crunchy. keeps you full, keeps things moving, good for your gut

4. colour - the more colours on the plate the more variety of micronutrients you’re actually getting. boring salad = boring nutrients

5. ease & longevity - if buying pre cooked meat will encourage you to make the salad then do it! For longevity (hold for longer than a day) add something starchy like grains, pasta or potatoes. they hold up in the fridge for days AND give you slow release energy so you’re not crashing by 3pm

save this for your next meal prep ! X

Most people aren’t happy with how they eat and it’s not because they don’t care.

The real problems are almost never about willpower or discipline. They’re structural, life is busy, food is emotional, and the noise around nutrition is relentless and contradictory. You’re either being told to eat less, cut carbs, go plant based, track everything, or just “listen to your body” 😂 advice that sounds simple and means almost nothing in practice.

The actual hurdles most people hit:

- Convenience wins every time when you’re tired. You eat well when life is calm and fall apart when it isn’t. That’s not failure, that’s human.

- Restriction creates the binge. You cut something out completely, manage it for a while, then the weekend arrives. Moderation sounds boring but it’s WORKS for the long game.

- You’re not taught this as school and neither did most parents. So people are figuring out nutrition in their thirties and forties via socials, which is… not ideal.

- Emotional eating is real and often ignored. Stress, boredom, reward, comfort - food does a lot of jobs beyond fuel.

The fixes that actually work are less dramatic than you’d hope. More protein at every meal. Cook in batches when you have energy, not when you need it. Stop labelling food as good or bad.

And here’s something I keep coming back to the longer I work in food and learn more about nutrition - knowledge and implementation are completely different skills. I’m surrounded by food, I know more now than I ever have, and that doesn’t automatically mean I get it right every day. In fact it’s taught me to implement more of a beginners mindset to every thing.

What it does mean is that awareness shifts over time. You notice more, you make slightly better decisions slightly more often. And that compounds into something that actually sticks. X

Flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts and mixed seeds might look like tiny “health food” toppings… but there’s actual science behind why they’re worth adding in.

They’re rich in fibre, healthy fats, minerals and plant-based omega-3 fats called ALA. Your body can’t make omega-3s by itself, so you need to get them through food. Plant sources include flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts - especially useful if you don’t eat much oily fish.

Why does that matter?
Fibre helps keep you fuller for longer, supports digestion and can help steady blood sugar levels - which means fewer dramatic energy crashes and less “I need something sweet immediately” behaviour at 4pm.

Healthy fats help with hormone function, brain health and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. Translation: your salad with seeds on it is doing more for you than the sad undressed lettuce era ever could.

Walnuts, flax and chia also contain polyphenols and other plant compounds, which are linked with supporting heart health and reducing inflammation.

And if you’re deficient or consistently low in omega-3s, fibre or key minerals like magnesium and zinc, you may notice things like poorer digestion, low energy, less satisfying meals, cravings, and generally feeling a bit… beige.

The easiest way to use them?

Add 1 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia to yoghurt, oats or smoothies. Add walnuts to breakfast bowls or salads. Sprinkle mixed seeds onto soups, eggs, roasted veg or meal prep bowls.

Tiny habit. Big nutritional upgrade.

Supper club Manchester - One night only ✨

Hosted at FIVEFOURSTUDIOS. Salford

7pm Thursday 16th July

4 gorgeous seasonal courses

Welcome drink

Candlelit sexy bar

Only a few seats remaining!

Link in my bio 😁

Nutritional tips I wish I’d known sooner 🍽️🙏

eat the rainbow. colour is attractive for a reason a colourful plate usually means a varied, nutrient-dense plate too

next meal, try and make it as colourful as you can! X

Beef short rib ❤️✨

The most forgiving piece of meat ever.

This week involved some testing of dishes ahead of the @rwl @rwlretreat supper club in 4.5 weeks!

I’ve also been looking back at pictures of food I’ve made over the last year and sometimes I cringe at stuff because I really don’t think its good enough or what I would ever do now but then I remember cringing is good because it shows just how much you’ve evolved - so I say CRINGE AWAY. I hope I’m cringing eternally x

lol all jokes aside - there are so many reasons I do what I do now. Following your heart really does pay off but it takes time, hard work and persistence.

But yes I definitely do not miss these things 😂

Today we sold out of our early bird tickets! Weeepieeeee. x

Luckily we have plenty of normal price tickets left - and over the next 5 weeks its my job to make sure we sell out so I apologise for the self promotion over the next few weeks.

Watch out for further posts where I’ll go into more detail on the night, the thought and process behind the menu and why you should come if you can!

Tickets are in my bio 🙂

The menu will be release in a couple weeks time menu 🍴

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TESTIMONIALS

Client - Dinner Party

"Chef Cara was absolutely outstanding! She perfectly understood our brief for

Ottolenghi-style cuisine, providing delightful menu ideas. Her enthusiasm for the

food and the evening was infectious, creating a vibrant and exciting

atmosphere!"

Client - Meal Prep

"Cara’s food is fantastic. She takes time to understand your likes and dislikes,
alongside this ensures all meals are cooked fresh and delivered in a timely

manner. You’re paying for convenience and quality, and in my opinion Cara’s services are

well worth the extra cost."

Client - Retreat

"Cara was absolutely brilliant - honestly we couldn't have imagined doing this without her, made life so easy, and my gosh the food was outstanding - still dreaming of some of the dishes she made us!."

Client - Event

"We are honestly so pleased with how it went and our team are super impressed

with you and your work! Will 100% be putting you forward for any other

opportunities in the future."