Once in Spain, it took a while to find my feet and grow new roots. After six months in the B&B, grateful for the opportunity and the experience, I left to start my own venture. For me, working in a restaurant kitchen felt rather repetitive and restraining, and I wanted a change, but wasn’t quite sure what that would look like.
Around that time I’d decided to thrown a big fiesta my new Spanish amigos, and I prepared a buffet full of the type of food I loved to prepare and to eat – healthy, vibrant and colorful veggie dishes packed with flavor.
Throughout the evening I was stunned at the reception food received. To be honest, I think I just caught them all by surprise – Gourmet vegetarian & vegan food isn’t exactly what first comes to mind in the homeland of jamòn and chorizo. But they all loved it. And from that moment forward, I knew that cooking the food I loved and knew was what I wanted to do!
Shortly after, I took my first trip to Bolivia and Peru, where Mother Earth is the Goddess that gives us life, feeds us and bestows infinite natural abundance upon us. She is deeply revered and very much alive in South America. Her name is La Pachamama. Upon returning to Spain, it made total sense to me to name my new venture in her honor, and Pachamama Catering was born.
It was 2008 and job opportunities for 100% vegetarian caterers in Spain were admittedly a little scarce! Nevertheless I was undeterred and I soon found the niche where my food was appreciated more than ever before – retreats. It was so exciting to have the opportunity to showcase all the veggie & vegan goodness I possibly could think of over the course of several days!
