Lucinda from Seriously Pickled: to Mentor the Next Generation of Foodies

What started as a few homemade meals sold from a car boot in a primary school car park has grown into a thriving food business with a loyal following. We sat down with the founder of Seriously Pickled to hear how her love of cooking, community, and chocolate cake turned into a career—and why she's looking forward to mentoring the young chefs at the Otaki Kids Market upcoming event "The Little High Tea Soiree".

Get your tickets here: https://visawoap.com/venue/anam-cara-gardens/6392

Tell us a bit about your journey – how did Seriously Pickled come to life?

Seriously Pickled was born out of my friends and family knowing I could cook. In fact I started selling family sized meals out of my car boot in my kids Primary School car park

Has your business evolved over time? What are you most proud of about how it’s grown?

When the car park business took off (x20+ meals a week, I had to register my ‘home kitchen’ business with the local authorities. As soon as that happened I took on more catering for local groups “Women in Business” and local corporates. Then Covid hit and my business folded due to lack of demand. Luckily after the first lockdown, I found a commercial kitchen with a shop front and I have been able to take my food to the people for the past x5 years meals. It feels good knowing that people are eating really good nutritious meals and we are making peoples lives easier by preparing their food for them.

If you had to pick just one thing to bake forever, what would it be—and why?

My Chocolate Cake…. I love chocolate and this cake is good. What makes it really special is that I use my (late) Mum’s chocolate & cream mousse icing which is absolutely delicious and it brings back some great memories of my Mums’ baking

What’s your secret weapon in the kitchen that you always reach for?

I love a good whisk!! It is so versatile… you can make a cake batter, you can whip cream, you can make savoury sauces and you can make scrambled eggs. You will never go hungry with a whisk

Do you have a go-to treat you make for friends or family when they visit?

I love a good platter… lots of little tasty bits that make the mouth sing

What was your reaction when you were asked to mentor the junior chefs at the Little High Tea Soirée?

Absolutely chuffed! I have x2 kids of my own and I have always encouraged them to get in the kitchen and cook. It is so rewarding to see our young humans create something tasty for others to eat

What’s one thing you hope they take away from the experience?

I am hoping the kids will feel empowered by creating food that they love to cook for their loved ones. There is nothing nicer than seeing people enjoy the food you have prepared just for them.

What are you looking forward to the most with the young chefs?

I can’t wait to see their creations. Kids who cook, already know what they love to eat. It is going to be great to see what they love to do

Why do you think it’s important to mentor and support young foodies in events like this?

Food is life! It is so important that everyone knows how to feed themselves. Any little tips and tricks to make their food journey a little easier will be great for both me and them.

What would you say to a young person who dreams of owning their own foodie business one day?

Follow your dream but be prepared to work hard. There are so many ups and downs with owning a foodie business however, if it is something you really want to do and love to do it will become a job that you will love to do…

When you were a child, what did you like to bake?

I loved to bake cookies… my favourite was the Edmonds Peanut Brownie… that is if we didn’t eat the cookie dough before they went in the oven!

And finally—will we see Seriously Pickled products featured on the High Tea menu? If so, what should we be watching out for?

Well… you just might have to wait and see… I do know that our famous cheese scones just might be a great addition to what is already on offer.

Get your tickets here: https://visawoap.com/venue/anam-cara-gardens/6392