Better Business / Kate's Kitchen
“Feeding people healthy, home cooked food is so important and is not taken seriously enough”
Kate Ploughman is a chef with over 20 years of experience under her belt. After working in the hospitality sector both as a chef and a kitchen manager, Kate founded Kate’s Kitchen back in 2017.
As the owner of an esteemed catering firm, Kate has put into practice her ethos of serving healthy, homemade dishes with an emphasis on sustainability and local produce. Kate’s Kitchen has been catering for cooperate events, private meetings and university functions regularly.
Can you describe the career journey that has led you to where you are
today?
I have always loved and had a serious passion for good, homemade, seasonal and local food. My Grandma was a cookery teacher and my Mum a seriously good cook, so I was fortunate enough to have super tasty, wholesome and homemade food, from my Mum’s allotment from a very young age.
From the age of three I was in the kitchen with my mum experimenting, which helped lead me to a career in food.
I have always worked in hospitality – from small restaurants to large event catering companies on race courses, so I have come from such a diverse range of catering. I worked long hours and many weekends in Bristol and New Zealand (for 2 years) as a chef in restaurants but fell in love with event catering when I got a job as a head chef for an event catering company.
I decided to set up Kate’s Kitchen in 2007, at the age of 27.
I wanted to own a catering company that produced delicious and creative food, that was environmentally conscious, using local and seasonal food (as much as possible) and treating my staff fairly and equally. I used to do everything from cooking, washing up, driving and serving – 17 years on I am now joined by a team of talented, passionate, hardworking and professional people.
Tell us about one (or more) of the people who inspired you along the way?
My Grandma and Mum goes without saying. But the best head chef I worked with for many years who taught me so much was Patrick Glennie Smith from Primrose Bistro – he taught me how to be a proper chef and gave me a good work ethic and treat staff fairly. My fabulous staff, family and friends continue to inspire me every day.
Are there any memorable challenges you have faced along the way?
The Covid pandemic was the biggest challenge of my work career, we went from a fully booked diary, to nothing within a space of a week. It was very soul destroying. Kate’s Kitchen is my third baby, so I felt like I lost a limb. But we got through it, thanks to my amazing supportive team and family.
What is the most important thing for you to focus on in business?
Do what you say you are going to do and treat people how you want to be treated, its
good to be kind and caring.
If you had one piece of advice to offer people aspiring to your role, what
would it be?
Be driven, work hard and stay focused. My advice in business is to never be complacent, always be ahead of the game. Treat everyone equally.
If you could change one thing about your sector, or Bristol as a whole, what
would it be?
Working in the catering/hospitality sector has got such a bad name in this country and is still considered a less skilled job. I was advised by my career advisor at school not to go into catering, luckily, I didn’t take her advice! But can’t believe that advice was given to kids, I do hope that has changed now. In Europe front of house staff stay on for years and years, as its treated as a serious career, I wish we had that mentally in the UK.
I also think hospitality staff should be paid a decent wage and not expected to work 60 plus hours a week, work life balance is so important for mental health and wellbeing.
Feeding people healthy, nutritious, home cooked seasonal and local food is so important for people’s health and is not taken seriously enough in this country. Food tech at schools should be on the top of the curriculum and we should be educated at schools to all cook proper home cooked, non-processed foods, that is affordable for all.
I also wish local and seasonal food was more widely available and affordable for all in Bristol.
There are so many great schemes in Bristol that these areas are being worked on by local charities and local businesses, I remain positive these things will change.
What are your aspirations for the future (personally and for Bristol)?
Keep on doing what we are doing. I want to continue on the Kate’s Kitchen journey for many more years, we aren’t done yet! We have come so far to improve our environmental and social impact, community focused goals – we want to keep on striving to improve and work on this.
We are focusing on funding local food charity work, currently working with the Square Food foundation, who do incredible work for marginalised communities.
Main photo: Kate’s Kitchen
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