About Me

Hello, I'm Cecilia; a Peruvian Chef, YouTuber and proud mum of two beautiful children!

My passion for cooking started early in my childhood whilst growing up in the city of Lima, Peru. From a very young age, I was captivated by the rich tapestry of flavours and culinary traditions that permeated the vibrant streets of my hometown. The bright colours, irresistible aromas and incredible tastes all played a major part in my childhood and which helped spark my culinary curiosity.

I fondly remember helping my mother spend many hours preparing traditional Peruvian dishes like 'Arroz con Pollo' or 'Pachamanca', instilling in me a deep appreciation for Peruvian food.

Studying Peruvian Food

When I turned 18, I started studying Peruvian cuisine at the renowned 'D'Gallia Culinary Institute' in Lima, Peru. From soups and stews to international food and desserts, I immersed myself in the world of Peruvian gastronomy for 3 years, learning not only the technical aspects of cooking but also the cultural meaning and history behind each dish.

After receiving my diploma at 21 years old, I began working in a variety of restaurants, including Gastón Acurio's 'Embarcadero 41' and 'Astrid y Gastón', continuing to learn and develop my culinary skills over the next few years. It should be noted that since I was little I had great teachers like my mother, my aunts and grandmother who also played a major role in my culinary adventure and taught me many traditional Peruvian dishes from a very young age.

An Unexpected Turn!

In 2015, fate took an unexpected turn in my life when I met my partner, now husband, from the United Kingdom. Alex was traveling through South America and fell madly in love with Peruvian food (and me!) when my mom and I prepared a super delicious banquet for him.

Two years later, in 2017, I found myself leaving my beloved Peru behind to embark on a new adventure in the United Kingdom. Together, my husband and I embarked on a new journey that saw us starting a vlogging channel on YouTube to share my life in the UK with my friends and family in Peru.

After also posting some homemade recipes, we decided to create a separate channel sharing recipes of our favourite Peruvian food. With my husband as my videographer (and food taster!), we've slowly grown this channel to over 272,000 subscribers on YouTube!

Selling Peruvian Food in the UK

While I love making cooking videos, it's not quite the same as making food for someone in real life! In 2022, I began selling authentic Peruvian sweets and delicacies to the British market, including 'Alfajores', 'Chocotejas' and 'Turrones', as well as other traditional favourites such as 'Tamales' and 'Humitas'.

The response was amazing! Not only were Peruvians living in the United Kingdom excited to try the dishes of their childhood, but many British people were curious to try these exotic delicacies that they ended up falling in love with.

Seeing the enthusiasm for Peruvian cuisine in the UK, I decided to go a step further and organise Peruvian food events in our home county of West Yorkshire. These events allowed me to offer traditional Peruvian dishes such as 'Seco de Res' and 'Ceviche con Chicharrón', which would have otherwise been impossible to send by mail. It was a great pleasure to see the smiles on everyone's faces as they enjoyed the food that I love so much, and we now have more plans to offer Peruvian gastronomic events in the future!

What will the future bring?

Turning 30 marked an important milestone in my life, a time to remember how I got here and wonder what the future holds.

Alex and I have many big plans for the future, from selling Peruvian products around the world to maybe one day having our own restaurant or doing food events in other countries - who knows what the future holds! All I know is that I am very happy with where I am in my life right now and I consider myself lucky to be able to spend precious time with my husband and two young children, Oliver and Sofia, while running this business.

If you want to stay up to date on my culinary journey, be sure to follow me on Instagram and both of my YouTube channels.

Get in touch

If you would like to send me a message, please fill out the form below. Please note that due to the large number of emails and messages I receive, I can't always respond to all of them, but I will do my best :)