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OUR STORY

This initiative was inspired by the desire to share tried and tested recipes — in our busy lives we all appreciate the ‘real winners,’ which are quite simple to make and have been enjoyed by friends and family.

It all began at a meal hosted by Laura Bachelor, where Beatrice asked for the recipe for the dish – and so the idea of a fundraising recipe book was borne. Camille, Stephanie, Faith, and Rui volunteered to come on board and we chose to donate to INARA, as we appreciate the holistic approach taken to help children in different communities whose daily lives are impacted by conflict.

The generous response we’ve encountered along the way has been heart-warming — Georgia Brooks, founder at the NINE offered to host the launch, we included the idea of an auction to generate more funds and friends, colleagues and family have helped the idea become a reality. We all believe that the nurturing of the next generation will be critical to reconciliation. We hope this non-partisan initiative will play some small part in showing we are a community that cares.

Meet the Team

Laura Bachelor

British by birth and Belgian by adoption, for the past twenty years I have lived and worked in Brussels bringing up 2 wonderful daughters. Raising my own family, I always valued time spent with family and friends. As a working mother, picking up good, easy-to-make recipes has been part of that journey. When I found myself with time to give, the idea of a fundraising recipe book took off.

I heard about the impressive work of Arwa Damon through my sister-in-law who is also a journalist covering the Middle East. Growing up in the UK, with family in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, I was always aware that there are two sides to every story in a conflict, and any sustainable resolution lies with the younger generation. This initiative has provided a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with dear friends, meet new ones and support the inspiring work of INARA. In my professional life, I am a managing partner at FIPRA, a public affairs agency.

Beatrice Vos

I grew up in Cologne, Germany, and now live in Brussels with my Dutch husband, three children and dog Ginger. The idea for ‘Recipes from the Heart’ came about from a conversation I had with Laura about the struggles of working parents to put healthy, delicious and quickly-prepared meals on the table every evening.

Combining a collection of truly easy recipes and raising funds for a charity helping children at the same time seemed like a win-win. I am an M&A lawyer and have worked in private practice and in-house for 20+years. Last year I started my own M&A advisory firm.

Stephanie Lvovich

I am a dual US/UK citizen living in London with my two children. We are a cooking and eating at home family, rarely choosing to eat out and instead celebrating the process of preparing and eating home-made food together. I am a passionate traveler and love to explore the world and learn about new places and cultures. Bringing back new recipes, flavours, spices and things to try at home is an important part of this passion and helps me to integrate these experiences and memories into my daily life.

I am proud to have the opportunity to be part of the Recipes from the Heart initiative and work with other strong and like-minded women, to contribute something small to help the incredibly sad situation in Gaza. Professionally, I am the founder of a boutique stakeholder engagement consultancy called Shared Planet, focusing on social and environmental consulting.

Camille de Potter

I am a Belgian national living in Brussels with my English husband. We are raising 4 children with roots in four different cultures (Belgian, Italian, English, French). This cultural mix is also apparent in our food. From a good old shepherd’s pie to pasta al ragù, chicons au gratin and ratatouille, meals are the moments when we connect as a family, enjoy time with friends, and often strengthen our business connections. It was therefore an easy decision for me to join ‘Recipes from the Heart’ when Laura and Beatrice told me about the project. Food brings people together, in good times and bad. I am a former corporate lawyer, and this year launched a consultancy company with my husband that convenes leaders and their companies around social responsibility issues.

Rui Shang

Born and raised in China, I have spent the last nine years living and working in Brussels, discovering and bridging the cultures between East and West. Food has always been a passion of mine, deeply rooted in my cultural heritage. In China, there’s an old proverb: “For the Emperor, the people are everything; for the people, food is everything.” Since leaving home at 18, home-cooked meals have become a comforting antidote to homesickness. I love preparing and sharing food with friends from diverse backgrounds—food is the perfect bridge for quick cultural understanding and one of my favourite ways to connect and spend quality time with others. Children are innocent and represent our future.

When I heard about this initiative from Laura, I was inspired to contribute in some small way to positively impact this turbulent world. Bringing together friends who care and are committed to making a change is both exciting and meaningful. Professionally, I am a partner at a PR agency that facilitates various projects between China and Europe.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

Recipes from the Heart is grateful for the team at Shared Planet for designing our website. We are also thankful to Elise Batchelor, who designed our logo.

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OUR STORY

Meet the Team

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

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