Interview with: Bettina Campolucci Bordi (Bettina’s Kitchen)
Bettina Campolucci Bordi is a best selling book author and plant-based chef residing in London, UK. Bettina is best known for her focus on seasonal, local and plant-based recipes she shares on her blog Bettina’s Kitchen. Her books have received rave reviews from the likes of The Times, The Guardian, and Metro – and her heartwarming personality paired with intriguing recipes landed her commercial slots on everything from The Food Network with Laphroaig Whisky, to recurring appearances on ITV’s James Martin’s Saturday Morning.
Bettina’s love of food originated from her multicultural childhood and upbringing. Born in Denmark, she lived in Tanzania for the first 11 years of her life – and after that, in Sweden. She spent many of her holidays in Bulgaria, with her grandmother and aunt, both avid and amazing cooks. She spent a lot of time at the kitchen table watching her grandmother and aunt cook and bake the most mouth watering feasts. Summers in Sweden were spent with her other grandmother - another fantastic cook, and quite the talent when it came to growing all sorts of wonderful things in the garden - jams, cordials and pickling were her speciality. Bettina would often visit food markets with her mother to pick fresh produce, and quickly learned the art of haggling for the best quality and price. Her knowledge and passion for plant-based foods continues to grow, and she’s on a mission to prove that being on a plant-based diet is anything but boring, expensive or time-consuming.
Aside from her highly successful blog and incredibly eye catching and appetising Instagram feed (salivating as we write), you’'ll find her hosting retreats in Bali, as well as partnering/collaborating with retreat company Reclaim Yourself and working as head chef to host retreats in the most incredible destinations around the world. If you think that is all - oh no - Bettina also runs her highly successful quarterly Retreat Chef Academy – a one week long sell-out course that sees her pass on a plethora of knowledge and expertise to aspiring chefs, to help them travel the world, and enable them to enjoy experimenting with various cuisines and flavours. Bettina lives by the motto that: we should all eat seasonally, locally and from farm to table as much as we can; we should support small businesses within our communities and those around us; we should use roots, shoots and all. We discuss where Bettina’s love for plant-based food comes from, the first dish she’s ever made, we find out about her new cookbook ‘CELEBRATE’ and what she enjoys doing outside of cooking, her advice on starting up in the food industry and her plans for the rest of the day…(sincerely wish we could join you!)
“I come from the sort of family that doesn’t remember visits to museums or art galleries, instead, my holiday memories are filled with dishes, markets and food experiences. We travelled extensively as a family, gathering food memories, and that’s stayed with me to this day.
I love travelling, sampling and experiencing different cultures and countries through food. There are untold stories everywhere, and they’re such a huge part of our lives. It’s magic, really – and that’s how I initially caught the food bug, which has blossomed into a life-encompassing passion that won’t be going anywhere soon.”
Hi Bettina! What was the inspiration behind starting up Bettina’s Kitchen?
Hello! I started running Wellness Retreats 10 Years ago and cooked on them. To document my food and recipes I started the blog Bettina’s Kitchen.
Do you have an earliest food memory? & Do you remember the first dish you've ever made?
I grew up in East Africa so I just remember being surrounded by a lot of food and ingredients. We always made everything from scratch. My first dish that I ever made was pancakes! I used to make them for my friends which was great!
Tell us a little random fact about yourself…
To completely switch off I love watching very bad reality TV - think Kardashians, Below Deck, Housewives of Beverly Hills type of vibe, yessir :) thats how low Ill go to switch off my brain for a few hours.
Biggest misconception about plant-based food?
That it's boring, inaccessible and expensive.
Images from Bettina’s Cookbook HAPPY FOOD
“I hope that I can inspire you to incorporate more plants in your diet, give a starting point for your journey, and show you just how easy cooking with plants can be. Now’s the time begin positively influencing the next generation in sourcing local ingredients, preserving traditions, respecting the seasons, and cooking from scratch.
“And last but not least, I’m here to celebrate food, life, friendships, and all things good in the world!”
Tell us about your latest cookbook 'CELEBRATE'! What can we expect from this book?
It’s the perfect cookbook for every celebration and occasion - no matter if you're vegan,vegetarian, flexitarian or will eat anything! From Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, to birthdays, picnics, summer BBQs and formal dinner parties, every occasion is covered in this delicious plant-based cookbook. Each event has a menu plan featuring several dishes – mains, side, dessert – for a completely stress-free experience. Sugar-free, gluten-free, free-from and seasonal alternatives are provided for each recipe, so nobody is excluded!
Have you got a ‘most proud’ moment or Do you have a specific memory or a career highlight / achievement that most sticks out to you during your career as a chef?
There are so many - If there is anything that I have learnt it is to celebrate all the smile milestones as they lead to the bigger ones. Remember to stop and make sure you give yourself credit for how far you have come. Even if it's a small achievement. It all adds up.
Do you enjoy playing music in the background when you cook? What are some of your favourite artists/songs to listen to?
I do! I have special spotify playlists :) I am such a mixed bag when it comes to music - but for cooking I like, happy, calm stuff and oldies like Ella Fitzgerald, Louise Armstrong etc.
If you had to eat the same dish for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Pan Con Tomate :)
What is your favourite SØD (sweet) thing and why?
Cinnabuns because they remind me of my childhood in Sweden and my grandma.
Do you have a favourite 'go to' recipe?
So many! And it depends on what time of year it is. I love cooking with seasonal produce as it tastes best.
Bettina’s Instagram Feed
If you were terrible at cooking/being a chef what do you think your other career path would be?
An artist, I wanted to paint.
What do you love most about living in London?
I love the buzz, the energy and the fact that so many things are happening here at once! LOVE IT!
What do you enjoy doing outside of cooking? Do you have any hobbies?
I love walking, travelling and reading.
What advice would you have for anyone wanting to get into the food business?
Do it for the love of it. It's a passion!
What are your plans for the rest of today?
I am going to see Coldplay!
