For Daisy Smith, the kitchen has always been a place of joy, creativity, and inspiration. Her journey into catering and hospitality began long before she became a chef.
“As a child, I used to spend school holidays with my dad, who was a chef at a private school in Rugby,” Daisy shares. “I’d join him at work, and we’d cook together in the kitchen. It was such a fun experience and it taught me so much about food. Looking back, those times were a huge inspiration for me.”
That early passion soon shaped Daisy’s career path. After leaving school, she began working as a kitchen porter at Weetabix in Burton Latimer. It wasn’t long before she moved into the kitchen, helping with food preparation and cooking breakfasts, mains, and now home baking.
“Once I started working with ingredients, something clicked,” Daisy explains. “I realised I had a passion for food and I wanted to turn it into a career.”
Now three years on, Daisy has developed a love for baking. “Over the past year, I’ve really gotten into baking, and I absolutely love it,” she says. “There’s something so rewarding about creating something from scratch and seeing how much people enjoy it.”
Her role at Angel Hill Food Co. has given Daisy the freedom to be creative and push her skills further. “What I enjoy most is being able to try new ideas and bring them to life on the menu. The feedback from customers is instant, and when they love what I’ve made, it makes everything worthwhile. I’ve also been really lucky to work with such a supportive and welcoming team, it’s made my journey so special.”
As part of her development, Daisy has also joined the Culinary Classroom, a programme designed to inspire and support chefs across Angel Hill Food Co. For Daisy, it has been a key source of creativity.
“I’ve had such a great time in the Culinary Classroom so far. It’s given me loads of new ideas, and one of the highlights was the street food safari in Bristol. Trying so many different flavours opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about food, and I can’t wait to bring some of those dishes into my own menus.”
Daisy’s story is proof that passion, creativity, and hands-on experience can shape a career in catering and hospitality. From cooking alongside her dad to creating exciting new dishes for customers, her journey shows what’s possible when you truly LOVE food.
