Author: Marente van der Valk
Freelance chef, food stylist and designer. Currently running the Jan van Eyck Food Lab (Maastricht, NL) as Culinary artist in residence (2018-2019).

Mazi Mas
I was so lucky to have worked with the social enterprise Mazi Mas, and more importantly, a wonderful group of women, as Culinary Director and coach between December 2016 and August 2018. Mazi Mas offers training and work for immigrant and refugee women who have a passion for food. Mazi Mas gives these women an opportunity to make a living while showing London their colourful culinary heritage.
Far from being unskilled, these women possess skills which are highly marketable in an increasingly food-inspired London . What they lack are the means, knowledge, and networks to turn these skills into economic opportunity. Mazi Mas gives these women the opportunity to engage with a public which is – quite literally – hungry for their talent.
Mazi Mas works in partnership with small businesses and many fellow social enterprises, and sources their produce from local farms. Mazi Mas is passionate about contributing to strengthen local economies and to support other businesses that are dedicated to providing meaningful, fulfilling, and justly paid work.
Mazi Mas was named one of Britain’s 50 New Radicals by Nesta and The Observer in 2014. This has allowed Mazi Mas to connect with a wonderful group of people who are contributing to positive social change in inspiring and innovative ways, and addressing global problems at a local level.
A few of the women have started their own businesses; please get in touch if you wish to contact and book them for an event and enjoy their incredible dishes yourself.

Ferment Pickle Dry
‘Ferment, Pickle, Dry: Ancient Methods, Modern Meals’ just got published. A complete book full with really original and incredibly tasty recipes using these old techniques. Authors Simon Poffley and Gaba Smolinska-Poffley, published by Francis Lincoln Publishers, gorgeous photography by Kim Lightbody.
For this book I was hired to do all the prop- and foodstyling, as well as the recipe-writing of six of the dishes.

Private Chef at Drynachan Lodge


Summer Seaweed

Savage Salads

Outdoor Cooking Demo – Streatham Common Community Garden
Streatham Common Community Garden (South London) invited me to run an outdoor cooking demonstration and workshop in which I would show growers and visitors of all ages a few recipes and tricks what to do with the wealth of produce they had grown.
Since I grab any opportunity I can to cook on wood-fires or a charcoal BBQ (I absolutely love it), I proposed a veggie based workshop working with everything the season and the garden had to offer (think of fresh peas, rainbow chard, broad beans, potatoes, fresh herbs and strawberries, but also calendula flowers, nasturtium leaves and flowers, angelica root and flowers and vine leaves). The day turned out to be a wonderful gathering and feast.

