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Karla Lacey has written about food for more than three decades and has been cooking for even longer. She believes that local, seasonal ingredients are the foundation for meals that nourish the body and strengthen the soul. Her passion for good food has seen her work across multiple countries, cultures, and communities—most notably in the US state of California and the island country of Bermuda.
A trained personal chef and former talkshow host, Karla founded Jr. Chef Central, a culinary program for kids ages 10-15, in 2006. In 2008 she released ‘Karla’s Kitchen Table, Recipes for All Seasons’, a cookbook described by her as “an ‘eat book’ - a book about eating, masquerading as a cookbook so it can find its way onto store shelves, into your kitchen and as topic of conversation at the table you gather around to eat”.
Karla’s passion for food has led her to partner with chefs, farmers, culinary artisans, nutritionists and related industry suppliers on ground-breaking culinary events. Through her Rising-Chef Competitions, Kids’ Culinary Conventions and chef/culinary student ‘Plates of Passion’ showcases, she has raised thousands of dollars for both educational scholarships and non-profits.
Recognized for her innovative, impactful approach to solving challenges in the corporate sphere, she finds joy applying those same talents in her kitchen. The immersive assembly-style curriculum she developed through Jr. Chef Central has taught thousands of schoolchildren at risk of food insecurity the skills required to prepare simple, healthy, seasonal dishes from ingredients most accessible to them.
Karla holds a MSc in Global Operations from Salford University and will soon complete her MBA in Coaching, Mentoring and Leadership from York St. John University.
“I never started out with the goal of teaching people how to cook. All I’ve wanted was to enjoy good food in the company of others. And while I can (and do) enjoy a good meal eaten solo, it’s not my preferred dining style – sharing is.”