The nourishing chef
Hi, I am Caroline. I stumbled into the world of healthy eating due to many health issues in my teens and early twenties - and I discovered a universe of deliciousness! Who knew that healthy food could be so tasty!
Over time I tried many different diets, like veganism, raw veganism, paleo, low carb, high carb... but in the end I always came to one conclusion: you cannot go wrong with whole unprocessed foods. And that's what I use in my cooking. These days I feel so much healthier and fully nourished because health starts with the food we eat.
My kitchen career started while I was volunteering in a family hotel/organic farm in Andalusia, Spain. As I was eating a raw food diet back then, I became the expert for the raw food menu of the hotel kitchen. The guests and owners of the hotel loved my creations and I ended up staying two years working in their kitchen.
Over time I tried many different diets, like veganism, raw veganism, paleo, low carb, high carb... but in the end I always came to one conclusion: you cannot go wrong with whole unprocessed foods. And that's what I use in my cooking. These days I feel so much healthier and fully nourished because health starts with the food we eat.
My kitchen career started while I was volunteering in a family hotel/organic farm in Andalusia, Spain. As I was eating a raw food diet back then, I became the expert for the raw food menu of the hotel kitchen. The guests and owners of the hotel loved my creations and I ended up staying two years working in their kitchen.
Then I moved to Italy where I lived in a tiny medieval village. I started cooking and eating cooked food again and prepared many lovely meals for all my new friends there. After one year my partner and I got the chance to help with a start-up in Langkawi Island, Malaysia, for a healthy food cafe which was part of a project to combat the growing obesity rates in Malaysia. We prepared and equipped the kitchen, got our suppliers and I created different menus for a growing number of clients from the island. We were the only vegetarian and healthy food cafe on the island, and we also did some cooking classes children, together with their parents, to encourage healthy eating. Besides that I also catered for different boat cruises, on luxury yachts and catamarans, as well as for Paul Penders, the owner of the natural vegan skincare company.
After some time we decided to create our own company Balini Foods to sell our products and offer take away foods. Our first product line consisted of home made tropical jams, chutneys and pesto, as well as raw vegan cupcakes and energy balls.
I loved the tropical climate and the durian season, but I also missed Europe and being closer to my family. When I saw the job ad for a newly opening yoga retreat center in Southern Spain, I quickly applied and soon the decision was made - I was coming back to Spain!
The yoga retreat center Suryalila (www.suryalila.com) would become my home for the next 10 years. I absolutely fell in love with the place, the people, yoga, and the stunning nature and surrounding countryside of the Sierra de Cadiz. I settled down, and together with my colleagues we created a mind-blowing healthy vegetarian delicious world cuisine that keeps on getting ravenous reviews from our clients. We are cooking daily breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets for up to 90 people. In 2017 we published the first edition of our recipe book which can be bought here. In 2019 Suryalila got voted one of the best yoga retreat centers worldwide by Yoga Journal, and in 2024 it won the price Best Yoga Retreat Center worldwide, voted by Om Magazine. And a big reason for world-class yoga teachers like Tiffany Cruikshank, Donna Farhi and Meghan Currie to come back again and again, is the food!
The yoga retreat center Suryalila (www.suryalila.com) would become my home for the next 10 years. I absolutely fell in love with the place, the people, yoga, and the stunning nature and surrounding countryside of the Sierra de Cadiz. I settled down, and together with my colleagues we created a mind-blowing healthy vegetarian delicious world cuisine that keeps on getting ravenous reviews from our clients. We are cooking daily breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets for up to 90 people. In 2017 we published the first edition of our recipe book which can be bought here. In 2019 Suryalila got voted one of the best yoga retreat centers worldwide by Yoga Journal, and in 2024 it won the price Best Yoga Retreat Center worldwide, voted by Om Magazine. And a big reason for world-class yoga teachers like Tiffany Cruikshank, Donna Farhi and Meghan Currie to come back again and again, is the food!
I also catered for the wedding of dear friends in Sussex with over 70 guests.
In November 2017 I took a 6 month sabbatical to travel through Asia and North America. While traveling, I catered for the Detox Dudes retreat run by Josh Macin (www.thedetoxdudes.com) in San Diego in January 2018.
In 2021 I moved back to Germany for a year, to support my grandparents and spend time with my grandmother in her last months of life. During this time I ran and managed the kitchen of the vegan bistro cafe in Lüneburg, before I moved back to Spain in March 2022.
In November 2017 I took a 6 month sabbatical to travel through Asia and North America. While traveling, I catered for the Detox Dudes retreat run by Josh Macin (www.thedetoxdudes.com) in San Diego in January 2018.
In 2021 I moved back to Germany for a year, to support my grandparents and spend time with my grandmother in her last months of life. During this time I ran and managed the kitchen of the vegan bistro cafe in Lüneburg, before I moved back to Spain in March 2022.
Recently I launched my own product line RawAmor, selling home-made chocolate truffles, energy balls, raw vegan cakes, as well as wholesome gluten free bread (www.rawamor.com).
Now I am a freelance chef, available for retreats, weddings, parties etc. Get your delicious healthy plant-based food now!
I am based in Southern Spain, 1 hour away from Jerez de la Frontera and Sevilla, and 2 hours away from Malaga, but happy to travel.
Get in touch for a quote.
I am based in Southern Spain, 1 hour away from Jerez de la Frontera and Sevilla, and 2 hours away from Malaga, but happy to travel.
Get in touch for a quote.
