Meet Bettina: Wellness Chef, Author & Educator
As a chef, author, and educator, I’m passionate about showing that plant-based cooking can be both exciting and accessible. I believe food has the power to heal, to connect us to our roots, and to spark meaningful change in our kitchens, our communities, and our planet.Through my recipes, retreats, and courses, I aim to empower people to cook with confidence and creativity. My approach celebrates seasonality, zero waste, and the beauty of whole ingredients. Proving that nourishing food doesn’t have to be complicated to be deeply satisfying.Whether I’m teaching in the Retreat Chef Academy, collaborating with brands that share my values, or hosting retreats around the world, my goal remains the same: to inspire a way of eating and living that’s grounded in care — for ourselves, for others, and for the earth.
The Power of Food to Heal, Connect, and Inspire
My mission is to include diverse plants onto plates. I believe food has the power to heal, to connect us to our roots, and to inspire positive change. At the core of my work is a commitment to climate-friendly, sustainable, and seasonal cooking. Celebrating vegetables and showing just how exciting they can be. Through every meal, recipe, academy and retreat, I want to empower people to cook with confidence, nurture themselves and the planet, and embrace this way of living in a welcoming, non-judgemental space.
Partnered with renowned brands across industries
A Life Nourished by Culture, Curiosity, and Cooking
I was born in Denmark to a Norwegian father and Danish - Bulgarian mother, but my first 11 years were spent in Tanzania. My earliest memories are of incredible food markets, travelling the world from a very young age. My mother turning fresh milk into butter and yogurt. Summers were split between my grandmothers in Bulgaria and Sweden, both exceptional cooks with a love for jam-making, baking, and garden-to-table meals. These women and their kitchens taught me that food is love, effort, and connection.
From Hospitality to Healing: The Journey to Bettina's Kitchen
I spent most of my teens working in restaurants and trained in Hotel Management in Switzerland, my path soon led me into the wellness industry and the retreat world in Spain. Along the way, navigating my own health challenges deepened my belief in food as medicine.What began as a personal deep dive and healing tool grew into a passion and career, taking me into kitchens around the world. Led me to work with some of the biggest names in food and Wellness. What started as a simple recipe journal on Instagram while Retreat cheffing soon blossomed into Bettina’s Kitchen - a creative space for recipes, retreats and educating others through my Academy.
My Food Philosophy:
Whatever your preferences, dietary needs, or level of cooking confidence. No dogma, no perfection. Just real food that brings people together. We create meals rooted in vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds — but we are flexible when it comes to thoughtful additions like dairy or eggs. It's about inclusion, not restriction.
Plant Based with Flexibility
Everything starts with plants. We create meals rooted in vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, but we are flexible when it comes to thoughtful additions like dairy or eggs. It's about inclusion, not restriction.
Seasonal and Local
We source from the land around us and cook with the rhythms of nature. This includes preserving traditions, supporting small producers, and cooking from scratch.
Waste Free
We cook root to shoot. Every part of the ingredient is valued. We honour the whole vegetable, reduce waste, and make sustainability second nature.
Wellness Focused
We create recipes that aids your gut health, keeps your mind focused and nourishes from the inside out.
Nutrient Dense + Satisfying
We layer in textures, grains, pulses and boosters so that meals nourish deeply and satisfy fully. Wellness is in the detail, flavour, substance, and soul.
Fuss Free and Inclusive
Our food is simple, beautiful and welcoming to all — whatever your preferences, dietary needs, or level of cooking confidence. No dogma, no perfection. Just real food that brings people together.
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If you’re looking for recipes, inspiration, wellness tips, or simply an easy read on your morning commute, you’ve come to the right place.
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