I have always been passionate about health and wellbeing and curious about how we nurture it in ourselves and each other. As a teacher I specialised in pupil support and special educational needs, relentlessly advocating for wellbeing to be prioritised over attainment during my 25 years in education. When I wasn’t working I was spending my evenings, weekends and holidays advancing my cookery and patisserie skills and developing my freelance writing portfolio - creative pursuits I’d enjoyed since I was old enough to stir a spoon and hold a pencil. When I left teaching I decided to bring all those passions together by building a plant-based food business which would promote personal and planetary wellbeing and give me opportunities to cook, teach and write in a whole new context. It’s been quite the journey…
Founded in 2020, Barefaced Food ® started as a home-based healthy food delivery business specialising in plant-based Barefaced Buddha Bowls ®. It thrived in the midst of the pandemic which saw us all prioritising our health. 18 months later, together with my son and his partner, we opened the award winning Barefaced Bakery and Coffee House where we served nutritious, delicious brunches and lunches alongside hand crafted cakes and specialty coffees. In addition to serving food throughout the day, we hosted food workshops by night, showcasing the joys and benefits of plant-based eating.
Over the years I got into some deep conversations with customers about food which soon led to discussions around wider aspects of health and wellbeing. We shared food places we liked to visit, books we were reading, latest exercise trends and the ongoing battle to find balance in our busy lives. The Bakery and Coffee House became a place where I enjoyed some of the most interesting and inspiring conversations I’ve ever had with like-minded women.
When we closed at the end of 2023 I resolved to do two things. First of all I wanted to create this blog which would be a source of information, inspiration and connection for every woman seeking balance in all those wider areas of health and wellbeing I’d spent so many years exploring. Secondly, I knew I wanted to hold on to the amazing community we’d built in the bakery days, taking the inspirational women I’d met with me on the next stage of this Barefaced journey.
So to everyone who’s been with us since the beginning, thank you - you’ve supported and inspired this transition from Barefaced Food ® to Barefaced Life ®. And to those of you who are new, welcome aboard! I hope you enjoy being part of this big, beautiful Barefaced community.
