About me

Hi, I’m Jade.

I live on the south coast of England with my husband and our two boys, and if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m completely obsessed with learning about food, wine, cocktails and entertaining. Give me a cooking class, a wine list, a beautiful table setting or a new kitchen gadget and I’m happy.

My Culinary Roots

Food has always been part of who I am.
I grew up in a big family where hosting was second nature. My parents were always entertaining, and my mum became well known for her legendary “theme night” dinner parties. Watching her create beautiful meals, gather people together and somehow make every occasion feel special inspired me more than she probably realises. Although, admittedly, she may also be responsible for my appreciation of good wine too.

A Journey Through Careers

My career path has been anything but straightforward. I started out with Hampshire Constabulary before moving into community development work for a housing association, where I helped run creative projects for residents and communities. It was a role I genuinely loved — full of writing, ideas, events and creativity — and I was lucky to work with people who encouraged all of those things.

Life’s Turning Points

Then life changed.
In 2012, after getting married, I had my first son. He was born with Hirschsprung’s disease and became seriously unwell, requiring surgery and a colostomy bag as a baby. Those early years were spent in and out of hospital appointments, surgeries and recovery, and eventually I had to leave my career to care for him full time.
Out of that difficult experience, something meaningful grew. Alongside another parent, I helped set up a charity supporting families of children with Hirschsprung’s disease. We ran support groups, organised events and raised money for families spending long periods on hospital wards.

Dealing with Loss

A few years later, in 2014, my family experienced another devastating loss when one of my twin sisters died unexpectedly the day before their 20th birthday. Around the same time, my husband and I were also going through recurrent miscarriages. It was an incredibly difficult chapter of life, and once again, our family turned pain into purpose by creating The Red Lipstick Foundation to support bereaved families.

Rebuilding Normality

Somewhere amongst all of this, life continued moving forward. My husband built a successful business after leaving employment, we welcomed our second son — healthy and thriving — and slowly rebuilt a sense of normality again. Our charities remained a huge part of our lives until 2020, when Covid changed everything. Like many people, we found the emotional strain of continuing difficult to carry during lockdowns, and eventually I stepped back and began working alongside my husband in our business instead.

The Property Renovation Era

Then came my brief and chaotic property renovation era.
In 2023, determined to build something of my own, I ventured into renovating and renting properties. In reality, it turned out to be one of the most stressful experiences imaginable and absolutely not compatible with family life or my sanity. By April 2026 we had sold both properties and I can confidently say: never again.

Finding My Happy Place

But during all of this, something else had quietly become my constant.
Cooking, wine and entertaining had always been my “happy place”, but over the past few years they became something much bigger. I completed my WSET Level 1 in wine, started attending cookery schools and workshops, and became what I now openly describe as a self-confessed course addict. Bread making, sushi, Korean cooking, baking classes, festive workshops, cocktail making, food festivals, wine school — if there’s a class available, I probably want to book it. As I’m writing this in May 2026, I’m also close to completing a 25-week accreditation at Leiths School of Food and Wine.

A Busy Family Life

Alongside everything else, family life has remained beautifully busy. I still help care for my grandparents, all three of whom are thankfully still with us, although increasingly frail. In recent years much of my time has been spent helping organise care, accommodation and support for them following serious health challenges, including my grandad breaking his back after a fall in 2024.

Returning to the Table

So somewhere amongst motherhood, grief, caregiving, business ventures, charities, hospitals, property disasters and everyday chaos… I found myself returning to the table. Again and again.
Hosting has become one of my greatest joys. Christmas, Easter and huge family gatherings of nearly twenty people around the table are my favourite kind of occasions. Most weekends involve dinner parties, outdoor cooking, cocktails with friends or experimenting in our kitchen — which my husband has very kindly allowed me to fill with every cooking gadget imaginable.

Exploring the South Coast

We also spend time exploring the south coast on our boat, cooking onboard, finding wonderful places to eat and occasionally throwing together very questionable but memorable picnics. My boys and I also love camping, and I’ve somehow become the designated campsite cook for large groups too.

My Wine Journey

And yes — I’ve become very particular about wine.
Apparently I’m now the person everyone asks to choose the wine order.

Finding My Table

So, Finding My Table is exactly that: a journey of self-discovery through food, wine, entertaining and learning. A place where I can document this new chapter of life, share what I’m creating, the places I’m discovering, the courses I’m taking and hopefully inspire other people who may be searching for their own next chapter too.

I don’t have everything figured out yet — but I know this world feels like home to me.