Meet the Natural Chef Team
Meet the Natural Chef Team
Sam Hamrebtan
Natural Chef Course Director
Qualifications: CNM Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition, BA Hons
Background: A CNM trained Naturopathic Nutrition Therapist, Sam works with a number of brands, corporates and charities including Soho House and Women’s Health with recipe development, food styling and workshops. Her focus in the kitchen is to teach people how to do amazing things with ingredients that are healthy, simple and incredible tasty. With a focus on sustainable cooking & nutrition, Sam is passionate about incorporating foods into cheffing that are good for the planet as well as for our bodies.
Adria Wu
Natural Chef Lecturer
Qualifications: Trained Natural Chef
Background: Canadian-born Adria Wu is the founder and chef behind Maple & Co, a successful chain of health-focused cafes, one of which is housed in CNM London. Adria’s cooking influences extend well beyond her native Canada, however, as she’s worked and travelled across the world. She’s always had an insatiable hunger for cooking which was the driving force to her leaving the corporate world to study at the College of Naturopathic Medicine. Maple & Co. has been named by TimeOut as “One of London’s Best Healthy Eateries” and has also been featured in The Telegraph, The Times and Conde Nast Traveler. Adria is also a resident chef and presenter on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch.
Beth English Myers
Natural Chef Lecturer
Beth’s happy place is the kitchen, cooking up a storm. Blending Nutritional Therapy with Natural Chef principles is the recipe for success in Beth’s cookbook. Beth’s culinary studies began over 20 years ago when a foray into macrobiotic cooking instigated the desire to learn as much as possible about a variety of different cooking practices and “food as medicine.” Over the years Beth has loved learning how to create a wide-reaching range of nutrient savvy dishes from superfood salads and kombucha to dahls and gluten-free doughnuts. A graduate of CNM, Beth lectures at the College, runs cookery workshops and works with private and corporate clients. Beth also co-hosts the podcast Brains & Bellies. Originally from New York, Beth moved to London with her husband in 2004. Two decades of growing roots in England, two teenage boys and a tween daughter have all given Beth the opportunity to continuously practice her skills and keep learning… every day!
Stéphanie Cruchandeau
Natural Chef Lecturer
Qualifications: Trained Natural Chef
Background: Stéphanie is a CNM Natural Chef with a passion for naturopathic cheffing and cookery. Specialising in wholefoods and plant-based cooking she focuses on cooking with raw, unrefined ingredients that are inspired by the true healing benefits of seasonal food. When not teaching, Stéphanie cooks for events and private clients – running bespoke cookery workshops and organising supper clubs, wellness events and more.
Åsa Linea Simonsson
Natural Chef Lecturer
Qualifications: Trained Natural Chef, CNM Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition
Background: Asa has over 20 years’ experience in the medical and healthcare industries and is passionate about inspiring people to improve their health through nutrition. She started her career as a nurse around twenty-five years ago in Sweden, moving to England in her twenties to start a business selling natural organic health and beauty products. Asa now runs Linéa Nutrition. She’s a fermentation specialist and is the author of the winner of ‘Best Fermentation Book UK’ in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, ‘Fermentation: How to make your own sauerkraut, kimchi, brine pickles, kefir, kombucha, vegan dairy, and more.’
Nadia Brydon
Natural Chef Lecturer
Qualifications: Vegan Natural Chef, Naturopath, Nutritionist, Homeopath, Herbalist, Acupuncturist
Background: Nadia has qualifications in Western Herbal Medicine, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Bowen Therapy, Iridology, Vodder Lymph Drainage Massage, sports injuries and Ayurvedic Massage Therapy. She is presently completing her training in Ho Homeopathy. In addition she qualified in Florida as an Hippocrates Health Educator and in California as an Associate Raw and Living Food Chef and Instructor.
Michele Scarr
Natural Chef Lecturer
Michele is an experienced Nutritionist who trained in Naturopathic Nutrition at CNM, and honed her clinical skills at the London Clinic of Nutrition. In 2022 she joined Enable Leisure a non-for-profit organisation, pioneering their Menopause Health Coaching programme. Michele’s passion for food began at home in the family restaurant and she has lectured on the Vegan Chef and Natural Chef Diploma courses since 2019.
Sharon Gardner
Natural Chef Lecturer
Sharon studied Health Sciences with Naturopathy at Westminster University, and has been practicing for over a decade now. Sharon loves to teach and share knowledge on all things plant-based nutrition. She is a passionate advocate of holistic health and positive ageing, and believes that everyone should practise ‘self-care’ to help support their own health and wellbeing. One of her favourite things to do is create plant-based versions of traditional dishes and share them with her family and friends. Sharon is currently working on creating a few simple books filled with easy to make plant-based recipes that everyone can enjoy.
Peter Jackson-Main
Academic Director & Herbal Medicine Course Director
Qualifications: Master of Herbal Medicine. Diplomas in Natural Healing, Herbal Medicine, Naturopathy and Iridology.
Background: Peter has been at the college since 2003 and is the chair of the GNC (General Naturopathy Council, the regulator for Naturopathy in the UK. He also teaches Iridology and has been in practice in Natural Medicine since 1980. Peter is the author of the popular book Practical Iridology, which is a core text for the CNM Naturopathy course.
Bobby Qureshi
Director of Education
Qualifications: Masters of Osteopathy. CNM diplomas in Naturopathic Nutrition and Naturopathy.
Background: Bobby oversees the college’s diverse educational functions, which includes the writing and development of numerous courses and lectures. In addition, Bobby lectures on Biomedicine and Naturopathy, and has previously lectured and examined musculoskeletal medicine at Master’s degree level.
Bobby has obtained a wealth of clinical experience in many UK-based practices and has also volunteered his specialist skills overseas in Kenya, India, St Lucia, and the Philippines. Bobby is deeply passionate about providing as many people as possible with natural solutions to their health concerns, which is reflected in his achievements to combine work in clinic and education.