Diana

Starting off as a chalet chef, Diana climbed the rungs to founding her own specialist food ventures. This included a catering company and a refined delicatessen in Chelsea. She famously taught at The Grange Cookery School in Somerset for seven years and has injected that experience into a business with her kids, that is The Avenue.

This Mother Duck engages and educates her students with undying energy, character and warmth, welcoming everyone into The, now extensive, Avenue family.

With a knack for trailblazing twists on classical dishes, Diana simply loves food and is identified for her delectable culinary creations that will amuse and delight your palette. She does not do boring!

Sophie

Working hard running things behind the scenes she is only seen in the kitchen when enjoying the odd class!

Her previous experience in corporate entertainment means she can identify exactly what people want, down to the finest detail. Sophie is on a constant culinary journey of discovering new exciting recipes and restaurants in order to keep our classes refreshing and innovative. Having travelled extensively, this gypsy has tasted her way through the most exotic of lands. Good food and wine leaves her absolutely smitten.

With her culinary knowledge, obscene organisation skills and energetic drive she really is the backbone of the business.

Rich

Alongside Sophie, Richard is another child of Diana’s, making The Avenue very much a family affair.

A multi-talent, he started out as a builder (his fathers profession) and moved onto a cookery teacher (his mothers profession). His previous experience has included Chalet Hosting, prestigious Corporate Events and working as a private chef in the South of France.

Richard is a self-confessed Foodie, with an interest in modern cooking techniques. His knowledge and flair for experimental cookery will certainly broaden your culinary horizons. He effortlessly shares his enthusiasm with the students and pushes out the traditional boundaries, he is the youth and energy in our kitchens.

Niv

Having moved from Israel to marry The Avenue’s very own Sophie, Niv joined The Avenue family in 2019 as Bookkeeper and Head of Marketing.

Niv has experience in the finance world as well as a degree in economics and management and is now officially Sophie’s right hand man helping manage the running of the business from behind the scenes.

Since Niv has joined the family he has flourished into an excellent sous-chef and washer upper, in a family of chefs – priceless!

Katy

Since moving to London in 2010, Katy has developed an array of skills through a number of different professions. From experience in the busy hospitality industry to running and growing her own local music business, she is the newest member of our team bringing her knowledge and character to the role of Marketing & Admin Assistant.

Although having always enjoyed cooking, Katy really started to expand and develop her culinary knowledge during the months of lockdown, often experimenting with different recipes and ingredients. Alongside cooking, she also has a love for baking, constantly making fun and unique cakes for her friends, all of which she does from the comfort of her floating home, as she lives aboard a houseboat in East London!

Katy is fun and full of enthusiasm – the perfect fit for The Avenue!

Nikola

Nikola is an amazing lady who designs incredible cakes at her SW London cake business, NDCake Atelier.

She is fuelled by indefatigable energy and boundless creativity. An acclaimed artist and graphic designer Nikola is a creative genius and has joined us at The Avenue to share her undeniable cake making talent.

Tom

Tom has a pure unadulterated passion for cooking. Having trained at Ashburton Cookery School in Devon, Tom embarked on an exciting cooking journey. After learning the trade in various restaurants, he spent 3 years alternating summers working in London at creative hothouse Carousel and winters in Val D’Isere cooking up a storm for his lucky chalet guests.

Following a stint spent working on super yachts as a private chef in LA, Tom decided to come back home to London where he took on his first Head Chef position at historic gastropub, William IV. Post pandemic Tom reevaluated his career and decided to step away from the stove, trading in dark dingy restaurant kitchens for our beautiful bright kitchen.

We are happy to say he always has a smile on his face and is a bundle of energy always trying to share his knowledge, experience and above all, passion for food with our students. Just try and avoid getting him started on cheese jokes….

Helen

Helen has recently joined The Avenue family as a chef and although cooking is in her blood (her Grandfather was a chef), she spent many years in banking, while cooking amazing dinner parties on the side, until the penny finally dropped, and she decided to swap banking for cooking permanently.

She completed her chef training at Leith’s School of Food and Wine and directly after that did the WSET Level III course in 10 days!
She has incredible enthusiasm and a deep-rooted love of cooking that she enjoys sharing with those that come through The Avenue doors. Inspired by her travels and experience of global cuisines, she brings imaginative & creative cooking with an emphasis on exceptional flavours to the kitchen.

She is also a fully qualified dance teacher, and when not in the kitchen, can be found in the dance studio!