Hampstead Hive Member Spotlight - Emily Wright
Tell us about your business, what services do you offer?
My name is Emily Wright but I go by The Wright Foodie. I am a Nutritional Cook and specialise in bespoke meal planning, nutrition coaching and customised cooking courses. I help people with a range of health conditions like gastrointestinal issues, diabetes, allergies, immune support or fussy kids to name just a few. I am passionate about helping others create healthy, delicious and nutrient-dense food, without any faddy diets. I like to turn classic family meals into their healthier super cousins and give people inspiration and confidence in the kitchen. My main ethos centres around positive nutrition - focusing on what you CAN eat, instead of what you can’t.
What inspired you to start your business?
I have always had a huge enthusiasm for cooking - ever since I was little, all I wanted to do was be in the kitchen with my mum, creating something delicious. But it was only really upon discovering that my husband has a BRCA 1 gene mutation that things really changed for us. This gene mutation makes him more susceptible to certain types of cancers, and my kids have a 50% chance of inheriting the faulty version of the gene, which is particularly concerning for my daughter because the stats for women developing breast and/or ovarian cancer are really quite scary. I won’t sugar-coat it, when I found out, I was pretty terrified! It felt like this awful dark cloud looming over us as a family. There is currently nothing that can be done to fix this mutation and I didn’t want to just accept a ‘hope for the best’ approach. I wanted to be as proactive as possible and make our family as healthy as I possibly could. So we changed what was in our control - our diet and lifestyle - to give my husband (and potentially my kids too) the best chance of staying cancer-free.
That’s when I really began to understand the power food has in supporting good health and wellbeing. I strongly believe that nutrition can be used as an incredibly powerful preventative tool. In light of all of this, I decided I wanted to know more, so I studied Nutrition in Practice at Leiths Cooking School It was a fabulous combination of nutrition and practical cooking lessons from their chefs. Completing that course left me with a passion for maximising the nutritional content of all of our food, without ever compromising on taste; plus a burning desire to share all that I had learned.
How long has your business been running for?
5 years
What is your favourite aspect about working in the local area?
As much as I enjoy the convenience of an online food shop, there’s nothing quite like choosing fresh produce yourself! So I love walking around Hampstead sourcing the best fruit and veg, meat and fish from the local shops. Then, coming home and turning them into something both delicious and healthy and help give people confidence to pursue their own health goals.
Where do you see yourself and your business in five years time?
Doing exactly the same as I am doing now, although hopefully with a cookbook under my belt too!
Where can we go to find out more about your business/access your services?
Follow my recipes on Instagram at www.instagram.com/thewrightfoodie and on my website www.thewrightfoodie.com
