Jacqui Pickles is a private chef and has been cooking since 1983, initially training in France and in the kitchens of Le Gavroche, London. Since 1987, she has run her own business, which at first concentrated on outside catering in London but then expanded to include event management worldwide, until the mid 90s when she started her family. The last 20 years has included consultancy contracts advising in a variety of roles to both retailers and food production companies whilst continuing the catering business with long-standing private and corporate clients in London. Having attended and then taught at La Petite Cuisine, Richmond at the beginning of her career, she loves to teach still from her SW London kitchen - often designing lessons to suit individuals, be they professionals in other fields with more time on their hands, young people wishing to use cookery skills for gap years or in-house cooks of homes or offices.