About Debbie Pryer

While I was very young I found my ability to make cakes made everybody happy. So began a love affair with food and all things culinary. At school the only thing I was any good at was cooking with my ‘light as air Swiss Roll’ and ‘well seasoned soups’ leaving the other girls standing. If only my maths had been as good! No matter, as soon as I had the chance, I ran off to join the kitchens of a local establishment. I honed my skills under the eye of Head Chef George, who I still love, as well as the tutor at college, whose name escapes me?

As with many careers in the making, mine was put on hold while I gave birth to my beautiful baby daughter. When she and I needed to make a living I returned to cooking. This time in a local pub with a good reputation for light and fluffy omelettes with crispy home cooked chips. (These were the days before gastro pubs). After a few years of turning out good home cooking, I tried a few changes. I settled into the land of Kent County Council. Working for Trading Standards was challenging, different, well paid and I loved the new world I had found. I flourished rising to became a key officer in educating the public on their consumer rights with a new found natural ability to communicate with people.

In time, this led me to the upper levels of KCC in high profile jobs. I increased my knowledge and successfully studied for a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Management. I had a wonderful time developing and innovating the world of business communication. I was the first in KCC to introduce interactive business cards, to use simultaneous texting to communicate with identified groups and to apply the intranet to inform internal clients.

More change followed as I left local government in 2003. For two years I worked freelance on a number of stimulating projects including an exciting Road Safety event at Brands Hatch, a publicity film for the alternative curriculum service, a community project for Medway Council and communication training courses for South East Employers.

But I always kept my love of great cooking. So when I reached my mid life crisis, when I questioned what I really wanted to do, I found myself wanting, in fact longing, for a career that somehow connected with my first love.

So that's where I've come from and how I have arrived. I've created a new role that I love; I can immerse myself in everything connected with food. I read more, cook more, talk more, with a renewed passion about roasts, herbs, soups or baking. I've met new people, made new contacts, found new friends and I'm having a great time.