Featured Retreat Chef of the Month: Sara Arce
And before we know it, July has turned into August and you know what that means: it’s time to introduce you to another one of our fabulous retreat chefs!
Our Featured Retreat Chef for August is Sara Acre who gave us a great insight into her chef life and some fab inspiration in our little interview. Enjoy finding out more about Sara and don’t forget to check out her profile and listing, so you can get in touch with her for bookings: Sara Arce – RetreatChef.co.uk
You can also find Sara on her Instagram @thewabinomad
How did you get into cooking in the first place? Was it a family member, a passion for healthy food?
Food has always held a special place in my heart, even since I was a child. My mum was an incredible cook, and I learned so much from her. At the age of 16, I dove into cooking more seriously and discovered a profound connection with food as a means of self-expression.
I was never a fan of meat and have disliked milk (and other dairy products) since I was very young. My approach to a more plant-based diet began with a curiosity to learn different ways to cook vegetables. Little by little, I found myself drawn to a vegetarian diet and realised how good it made me feel
Do you have a favourite dish? If you could only cook & eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be? What makes it so special that you’d never get tired of it?
Although I’m Spanish and I really appreciate Mediterranean cuisine, I’ve always had a strong connection with Asian food, especially Japanese. Discovering it in my early twenties was a profound moment, and that fascination has stayed with me ever since.
I’ve often said that if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would definitely be ramen. I love the richness of its flavours and all that umami. What makes it so special is its incredible versatility. With endless combinations of broths, noodles, and plant-based toppings, every bowl feels new. For me, ramen delivers deep satisfaction and flavour from its ingredients. It’s a dish I could truly enjoy forever, and in fact, it’s probably my signature dish on the first night of my retreats.
And a signature dish you love making on retreat?
Apart of the Ramen, I very often do a coconut base curry together with a gluten-free focaccia and for dessert everybody loves Bettina’s ‘black rice pudding with caramelised banana’
What is your favourite cookbook and why?
It’s truly difficult to pick just one favourite, as I love cookbooks! However, if I had to choose, it would be one of the very first ones I ever bought: Harumi’s Everyday.
As you can probably guess, it’s a Japanese cookbook. What makes it so special is that it’s not a common book filled mainly with sushi, tempura, or other well-known dishes. Instead, it focuses on homemade meals – what Japanese people eat every day at home. I’ve probably cooked almost every single recipe in it, and this book brings me very good memories.
Do you have a favourite cuisine? Which country/region and why?
Apart from Japanese, I really love Thai food. I’m drawn to its incredible use of spices and all its complex, vibrant flavours, like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. It’s fascinating how it balances the five fundamental tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy – in every single dish. I’m also a big fan of Malaysian and Indonesian food; I get crazy for a good laksa!
Do you have a top tip for chefs and/or foodies? An ingredient you can’t imagine being without, a tool or a method you love using? Or even something you avoid doing like the plague?
Alright, if I had to give one top tip to any chef or foodie, especially for making plant-based food really shine, it would be to always keep miso paste and cashews handy. Seriously, they’re total game-changers.
Miso brings incredible, deep flavour and umami to everything, while cashews are the perfect substitute for dairy products – you can blend them into milk, creamy sauces, “cheeses,” and more! Together, they can fix so many dishes: adding amazing richness to a stew, making your sauces super flavourful, and completely transforming your dressings. For me, they’re absolutely essential for getting that complex, satisfying taste.
Speaking of things I can’t imagine being without, the tool I always travel with is my Vitamix. It’s genuinely saved my life so many times when I’m cooking by myself for big groups.
Thank you Sara for your time and beautiful answers. We look forward to featuring Sara during the month of August.
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