HELLO - AND WELCOME TO THE EPICUREAN SAILOR!

My mum inspired an absolute love of cooking from a very early age, underpinned by the wonderful Prue Leith and her comprehensive magazine part work "Confident Cooking" - I still have all four recipe and technique binders! A stint back in 2008 at the well-respected Ashburton Cookery School in Devon helped finesse my culinary skills - followed by professional Chef Skills training with the world-renowned Leiths School of Food and Wine in London. In 2023 I returned to Ashburton for some additional advanced patisserie training to help me create truly show stopping desserts as the grande finale for your special dining event or occasion. As a chef I'm always hungry to learn new techniques or ways of working with different ingredients and food styles - I find it impossible to say what my favourite cuisine is but I do love working with our fantastic Isle of Wight produce as much as possible. I am totally blessed to live on an island and have access to the freshest fish, pasture-fed animals, dairy, cheese and locally-grown, award winning fruit and veg - I defy anyone not to be inspired browsing any one of our well-stocked farm shops or food festivals!

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As a former RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, I've worked as a skipper, first mate and yacht chef on both sailing and motor yachts, logging over 45,000 nautical miles including two Atlantic crossings, countless hops across the Bay of Biscay, a luxury yacht delivery from Barcelona to Southampton and 8,000 miles on board a private motor yacht sailing around the Mediterranean. 

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I've provisioned for yacht rallies, run supper clubs, catered for pop-up dining events and prepared food for parties for up to 125 people - basically any excuse to cook and feed people!

 

With my love of food and sailing and a passion for inspiring as many people as possible to either get out on the water or get in the kitchen, in 2021 I finally made the decision to follow my heart by combining food and sailing as a career and so The Epicurean Sailor was born.

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I now work as a private chef here on the beautiful Isle of Wight, and also run small group cookery classes for 1 to 5 students which are a lot of fun and a great day out if you're looking for something different to do with your friends, family or colleagues. Check out my events page for upcoming classes or get in touch if you'd like me to organise a class especially for you. Gift vouchers are also available - ideal for the foodie in your life!

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Calling all aspiring bluewater cruisers! Planning an ARC crossing or similar?  Book one of my specialist Eatwell Afloat Cooking Classes and learn how to plan, provision and prepare food for longer sailing passages. From many miles of sailing and cooking in pretty much any weather condition you can think of, I know from experience that a happy crew is a well-fed crew!

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I also host a regular Sunday Roast Society and my fun Friday Night Feasts run from autumn through to spring - come alone or with friends - everyone is welcome!

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Zoë - AKA The Epicurean Sailor

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"What can we say, other than your culinary skills are exceptional in every sense. Definitely ‘on par’ and better than many Michelin Star restaurants. You are 100% MasterChef material"

Sian and Michael Shepherd, 18 February 2023

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