‘I’ve had a passion for food for as long as I can remember,’ says Desiré de Vincenzo. ‘My parents’ home was always filled with family and friends on weekends and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my dad, cooking meals.’ But Desiré’s childhood hobby was put on hold as she grew older. ‘I had been working in the technical field for 15 years, but I just wasn’t happy.’
In 2014, at the age of 34, Desiré quit her job and enrolled in the Christina Martin Culinary Arts Programme. ‘When I started chef school I was overweight; around 89kg. Being there didn’t help much – which good chef doesn’t taste
