Paréa is a service for private dining and cooking lessons that is just starting. I am offering my services as a community manager and copywriter to help build the brand and tell its story.

Little by little this small personal project is growing, and I am very proud to be part of it. You can check what we are doing on Paréa’s Instagram.

How many times have you eaten around a table without being aware of what you're eating? Where did it come from? Who made it? How much food will go to waste?

How many times have you been talking to someone knowing they were not listening to you? Knowing that this person was waiting for you to finish your story so they could start telling theirs?

Being around a table full of flavourful and interesting dishes, prepared with care, and at the same time surrounded by kind people whom you appreciate and who bring nothing but value to your life, is a situation very easy to describe. 

But not that easy to experience.

On the one hand, the food industry is struggling to properly educate consumers on how to dine mindfully and sustainably. On the other hand, we are all in a rush; we have no time to take care of ourselves, let alone others. Having time to sit around a table and enjoy is now considered a precious commodity.

That’s where Paréa comes into play. And for you to understand why I am here, I want to tell you my story.

Back in the day, I struggled with food addiction. Without even realising it, one day I found myself in an unconscious and depressive state, consuming large amounts of unhealthy and nutrient-poor foods.

Was it due to a lack of motivation and willpower? Probably. Was it for the sake of instant gratification? Most of the time, actually. What I can assure you of is that accessibility was a factor that aggravated this period of obsessive cooking and eating disorder.

After sending numerous applications to almost every European country, I ended up in the Netherlands. This happened a bit more than a year ago when I got a job as a chef at a hotel. The Netherlands was a bit of an unexpected destination, as I was in search of a warmer climate country (but, not gonna lie, I have been enjoying every day -well, at least most of them). I have somehow fallen in love with the charming city of Delft, which existence I didn’t know about before landing a foot here. I have managed to find my place even if it was not easy and the weather didn’t make it easy.

The year 2022 continued to bear down on me. I had a really stressful summer season on my home island, working as a chef in a fancy beach restaurant. And by stressful, I mean having 12-hour shifts with no days off. After 6 months, I noticed something was wrong: as expected, my mental balance was nonexistent.

Wintertime arrived, and I was burned out and unemployed. I felt that staying where I was would not help me change anything. “Old keys won’t open new doors.” I needed to take a bigger step. That’s when I thought the solution was to leave. A blank canvas. A fresh start. In my mind, making a big change would help me reset. And then I decided to move abroad. Where to? I had no idea.

After sending numerous applications to almost every European country, I ended up in the Netherlands. This happened a bit more than a year ago when I got a job as a chef at a hotel. The Netherlands was a bit of an unexpected destination, as I was searching for a country with a warmer climate (but, not gonna lie, I have been enjoying every day—well, at least most of them). I have somehow fallen in love with the charming city of Delft, whose existence I didn’t know about before setting foot here. I have managed to find my place, even though it was not easy (plus, the weather didn’t help).

Or did I just leave everything behind for nothing? Maybe a big step like this one might not work for everyone, but for me, it did. I was able to make small (yet big) changes in my lifestyle that helped me improve my quality of life little by little, day by day. I was determined.

Soon enough, I built healthier habits that helped me achieve my personal goals. I became a better version of myself, a more conscious and productive one, someone who overcame procrastination and instant gratification.

The results spoke for themselves: In one year, I lost 45 kilos. I adopted daily habits such as exercising and reading. I got promoted at work. I fell in love and entered into a beautiful relationship with a person I admire. The feeling of fulfilling my purpose brought tears to my eyes on numerous occasions, and unconsciously, during this journey, I developed a greater need—a need for sharing, expressing, and motivating others to bring out the best in people as consumers and to properly nurture our body and soul.

That decision led me to the creation of my personal project: Paréa. Soon after, I decided to move on and quit my old job. With a lot of excitement and urge, a new chapter had begun.

Paréa is the result of a big idea: I love to share, and I want people to share as well.

Paréa is about sharing food that has been prepared with love and care, in the most sustainable way possible. It also involves sharing quality time around a table and being mindful, conscious, and grateful for what’s happening.

Paréa is about sharing experiences, conversations, values, ideas, and reflections. I aim to cultivate a sense of community, emphasising the value of social connections to enrich our quality of life. I want my dishes to tell stories, and for stories to be told around them. Paréa is a place to be in company, for people to express themselves, and to take part in a heartcrafted gastronomic experience.

I want to bring this to life by offering cooking lessons, private dinners, and workshops. Whether it's for a special occasion, a birthday gift for your loved one, an extraordinary plan with your friends, or just to spend some quality time with your people, let's gather around the table. Take a bite, have a sip, and share a word.

So, tell me, do you want to join the Paréa?