Hi, I’m Sophie Southerden
I am the chef for Mouse’s Garden, and work onsite cooking delicious meals that go straight from the farm to your child’s plate. All our meals at the nursery are organic, vegetarian, and use seasonal ingredients. I believe it’s important to get kids excited about food from a very young age; helping with growing vegetables, prepping, cooking and meal planning to give them the confidence to use wonderful fresh ingredients.
My greatest inspiration for the food at Mouse’s Garden is my own family. I have three little boys, and I try to give them the most varied and balanced diet. I love to experiment and make it fun so they’re not afraid to try new things, and instead get excited by it. The way I cook for my boys informs everything about the way I work at Mouse’s Garden. I make food for your children with the same love and care that I do my own.
Raised by ardent food lovers, I have always been a healthy eater and incredibly interested in a healthy lifestyle and how food shapes this. I trained as a chef in Bristol and over the years have worked as a private chef, wedding caterer, chocolatier, head chef at a family restaurant and now chef to my three little boys.
I’ve known Flo since we were in secondary school, and our families have been friends for years. So when she told me about Mouse’s Garden, it seemed like a complete no-brainer to come and be a part of it. We’re both so passionate about raising healthy, vibrant little nature lovers, and share the same values in both our personal and professional lives. Joining the Mouse’s Garden family felt like the most natural thing in the world, combining our strengths and weaving a little magic together.
Outside of work, I love being fit and active. I run, swim, or cycle as much as I can. I also love growing vegetables, gardening, and spending time with family and friends. I met my husband when we were teenagers, and we’ve been together ever since. We’re raising our three little guys with the same healthy, nature-loving ethos that both our own families raised us with, and take joy in passing on a love for simple, good living.