We recently connected with Chef Lorraine Kenlock and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Chef Lorraine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

Eleven years ago, I was just someone who wanted to offer healthy options for lunch and had a thriving Salad delivery service that had clients in almost every area of the corporate offices on the island of Providenciales. I was also utilising my creative skills as a wedding stylist working with a Wedding planning company which resulted in numerous interactions with caterers and Chefs.

One day while shopping at the supermarket, the person I still consider the most amazing Private chef stopped me and asked if I would be open to making dinner at a villa. It was an anniversary celebration and only two people. I said yes without even thinking it through, then realised, Woah, what does that entail? :-)

But I went in with my wedding stylist skills, created an atmosphere, and cooked with love; oh, the wife was gluten-free, which is how I got the job since I already had a reputation for catering to the special dietary needs of my customers.

That is how I started as a private chef, and I continue to place the guest’s needs at the forefront while ensuring that their dining experience is the envy of everyone. It has led to me growing through personal and professional training to expand my service to Nutrition and Wellness Coaching.

I am delighted I had that opportunity, which took me on this fantastic journey these last 11/12 years.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I think my journey into Food and wellness started about 25 years ago. I worked in Healthcare, not as a practitioner but as an information specialist. I was the Director in charge of Medical Records and information for five hospitals, three public health departments and over 100 small health centres in Jamaica. Yes, I am Jamaican by birth :-)

My role brought me in contact with a study funded by the Japanese government, where a team from Japan came to Jamaica to study “The impact of lifestyle diseases on developing countries and the reason for the upward trend in the health statistics. I worked on the project as the information specialist for the team. Looking back, that is where it all started. Understanding that proper nutrition and lifestyle choices will lead to a better life. I was also blessed to receive a scholarship to the Hirosaki School of Medicine in Japan, where I received further training in Medical Informatics. Little did I know that some twenty-five years later, I would not be wearing a suit but working with others in caring for their Health through proper nutrition.

Being a private chef is a very intimate and personal service. It requires trust from but sides. Being a private chef that also cares for health needs has brought me great joy seeing the appreciation for the care I take for my clients’ needs. To get a note expressing thanks for my positive impact on their lives warms my heart.

I have worked with clients in the long and short term, and the feeling is always the same. Health is genuinely wealth, and being a part of that gift is the greatest reward.

Now that I have been able to expand into Nutrition and Wellness coaching. I have set the foundation with certification on Nutrition and Wellness coaching with  NASM ( National Athletic and Sports Medicine ) Body. Studying Plant Nutrition with the team at T Colin Campbell Centre for Nutrition, backed up with an Executive programme through Cornell Univerity in Plant Medicine. I now feel ready to work even more closely and help to give the gift of Health to others.

I launched my practice six months ago, and it is a great feeling to see it all coming together for the people I am blessed to help. So now I am genuinely a Privatechef and Nutrition and Wellness Coach, which is an unusual combination, having someone who can work with you on nutrition, also knows how to make and eat delicious meals that address their needs and work on your wellness.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was quick to think of the Pandemic recently, but I can go back further. Six years ago, I suffered both mental and physical trauma, and the physical left me injured and had me convinced that I would have to stop being a chef. Trauma, as everyone knows, PTSD takes time to heal. But in all of that, I kept going. I went back to the corporate world for two years, right up to the Pandemic. The Pandemic placed me rather abruptly back on my path, and even that was a journey in resilience and a bit of a struggle,  because I still looked in other directions before realising that my wellness journey was not over and that I needed to get back on track. It’s not been easy; being unavailable to clients for the better part of almost three years will have an impact. People seek out other options when your services are unavailable. That should not stop you from getting back into the trenches. Trust that the high quality of your service will win in the end. My private chef client list is a lot shorter, but the quality of the requests have been higher, and I am focused on building my Coaching client list, which is growing :-)

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?

I am self-funded; this is not easy; it requires sacrifice and faith in yourself and your work.  It is especially hard when you are doing product development. Take it slowly.. I have just launched my website in September, because things take time when you are building and funding out of pocket.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theitallifestyle.com
• Instagram: @theitallifestyle
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheItalLifestyle
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmkenlock/
• Twitter: @theitallifesty1

Image Credits
Photos by Chef Lorraine