Share an experience or challenge that has shaped you? I got my first job at the age of 14 in a local café and fell in love the whole atmosphere. I quickly realised how universal food is as a connector, and how it has this unique quality of punctuating big life events and forging special memories.

Best piece of advice you have ever been given? Mistakes aren’t failures, they are simply an opportunity for growth and learning.

What advice would you give to your younger self or a woman just starting her career? Surround yourself with people who lift you up and inspire you. Never stop learning. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

What does success mean to you? For me, Success means freedom. Freedom to choose who you work with (and who you don’t!). Freedom to choose how much, how often and when you work. And freedom to be creative and express yourself through your profession.

How do you handle challenges and changes? What's in your toolkit? I think ultimately most of the work I do is hinged on responding to challenge and embracing change. It’s part of the fun of the job in a way… An oven breaking down in the middle of service, a client’s last minute request to change the menu, a supplier forgetting to send you half of the things you need for an event in the eleventh hour! I try and counter these common challenges in my work by being as organised as I possibly can be, always have a plan B in place and staying solution focused (and maybe some breathing exercises when the going gets really tough!).

Why is it important to support women in business and women-led business? This deserves an entire page, but in a nutshell to address the gender imbalance across society and empower younger generations to follow in our footsteps to eradicate this imbalance.