02/01/2026
•it’s our birthday•
today marks cooked over coal’s 1st birthday, crazy how fast a year can just fly by, but I guess when you fill your time doing what you love around people you love time really does fly when your having fun eh.
a year or so ago I was pondering on the idea of this business, I had talked it through with a couple of friends over beers like it was some distant future plan I was working on, feeling like I was at the beginning of a huge mountain & the top was launching this idea, my business. one evening I remember being sat at home, it was miserable outside, i was getting frustrated that i couldn’t quite find the word to explain my vision, I felt like I had to launch this finished article that made sense to everyone, it felt like it was sucking the creativity & excitement out of me. the devil on my shoulder won & that night I registerd the buisness & went with the whole “it’s all about the journey” approach, because for me it is, it’s not about anyone else when you start something it’s about you being authentic & actually doing the s**t you want to do, that’s the thing that shines, not the finished article.
anyway look here I am a year later, having no really plan with a lovely bunch of people who liked my idea & booked me to cook them some of my food. i’m so grateful! this first year we have done weddings, street food events, private dinners, student lead restaurant take over & of course a whole bunch of .are.wyld events. i’ve had some of the best feedback & watched people love the food that they are eating & sharing with friends & family, for me it’s been perfect.
if you scroll through these photos you will see a bunch of amazing people who have supported me, worked with me, laughed with me & sometimes dropped everything for me to make sure things run smooth. I am forever grateful for you people. without you guys cooked over coal wouldn’t be possible. thank you to anyone who has helped me this past year, seriously! 💚
now we look into a new year of business with some weddings, festivals & awesome collaborations all in the pipeline I can say im so excited, year two, let’s av it 🤙🏼
“umi says shine your light on the world”
