Meet Sam, our Nursery Chef
Meet Sam, our talented Nursery Chef at Eden Early Years! With a passion for fresh, nutritious food, Sam prepares all our meals on-site using high-quality ingredients. But he’s more than just a chef - he’s also a teacher! Having previously worked in primary education, Sam brings a unique blend of culinary expertise and a love for teaching to our nursery. As a plant-based nursery, we’re committed to providing children with a healthy, balanced diet while promoting sustainability. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins are at the heart of our meals, ensuring little ones get all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. We know how important it is for parents to feel confident about their child’s nutrition, so we wanted to introduce you to the person behind the meals. Get to know Sam and his journey to Eden Early Years!
Sam’s love for food began at an early age, inspired by his mum’s ability to transform simple ingredients into delicious meals. His passion for cooking grew stronger during university when a close friend invited him to join a festival cooking project called ‘Dance for Your Dinner’ where hundreds of kilograms of food waste were intercepted and repurposed. This hands-on approach to food education sparked Sam’s dedication to making nutritious, sustainable meals accessible to all, something he carries with him to this day at Eden Early Years.
By age 22, Sam had worked his way up to head chef, helping launch Leeds’ first fully plant-based restaurant, The Cantina, in 2017. He later opened Knaves Kitchen, a popular pop-up inside the iconic Oporto Bar, where he ran festival kitchens and hosted sellout fine dining events.
His passion led him to team up with his best friend, Billy Collins, and in 2020, their venture Honest Edibles won ‘Most Sustainable’ and ‘Best Vegan’ at the British Street Food Awards.
After six months of traveling through South America in 2021, Sam trained as a primary school teacher and in 2023, he earned a PGCE distinction and QTS. He had finally found the perfect balance - teaching during term time and running festival kitchens in the summer.
Sam’s passion for permaculture, gardening, mycology, and foraging deepened his connection to food, but becoming a dad in 2024 truly transformed his perspective. Discovering Eden Early Years and its vision of connecting children with food through growing, cooking, and play brought his two worlds together, where food inspires teaching, and teaching enriches food.
Today, Sam brings his passion for food and teaching to Eden Early Years, continuously developing a nutritious, plant-based menu that fuels our little ones. His love for fresh, sustainable ingredients shapes every meal, ensuring that children enjoy a balanced and exciting diet.
Beyond the kitchen, Sam shares his skills with our Frogs (preschoolers) through hands-on cooking lessons, helping them explore new flavours, learn about healthy eating, and develop a love for food from an early age. At Eden, mealtimes are more than just eating, they're an opportunity to learn, create, and connect.
