Our Chefs

Samira Rengert

Certified Food Coach specialized in children’s nutrition and founder of Cooking Sense UAE/ Oman – the only professional cooking school for amateurs in the Middle East

A culinary journey around the world

Samira of German origin but born and raised in Damascus/ Syria was introduced to different cuisines at a very early age. In fact her family’s home cooking is inspired by many countries and in particularly the Arabic culture. She has learned the basics of cooking and the flavors of different cuisines from her mother and grandmother in Germany and still continues her culinary experiences by observing people of different countries in their kitchens. Her mission is to bring home cooking back into every kitchen and preserve traditional recipes for future generations as part of the culture of a country. She is currently working on her first cookbook and is running Cooking Sense together with her husband. Her special focus at the moment is on traditional cooking of the Gulf which will be also the subject of her first book.

She has developed a special expertise in healthy diets and is teaching people with special dietary needs, allergies or food intolerances how to change to a healthier diet. She has been certified by Reformhaus Akademie in Germany as Nutritionist specialized in children’s nutrition and has been working as a qualified Food Coach with many clients from around the world. Samira will make you shine again from the inside out just with the help of healthy food and lots of fun in the kitchen.

Kathleen Farren

BA (Hons), DipION

Nutritional Therapist, Dubai

Optimum nutrition means giving yourself the best intake of nutrients from a wide variety of delicious foods, to allow your body to be as healthy as it possibly can. Kathleen helps individuals to understand what constitutes a healthy diet and to work through the maze of confusing information available.

Being a parent of 2 children has given her an insight into the importance of good dietary intake in preparation for conception, during pregnancy and in early childhood.

Kathleen works with you, to develop an individually designed nutrition programme which can easily be adapted into your current lifestyle. She can advise on nutritional tests that would help to investigate particular health problems and is knowledgeable in the use of nutritional supplements. She can also give you advice on how to incorporate exercise into a busy schedule and works with a number of exercise experts and therapists to help you achieve overall health and wellbeing.

Kathleen has a BA (Hons) degree from Strathclyde University and studied nutrition for 3 years at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION) in London, graduating in 2001. She has also worked as a tutor at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in Putney, overseeing students practicing their consultation skills with their first public clients. She is a member of the British Association of Nutritional Therapists which means that she is on a register of nutritionists in UK and continues to update her knowledge by attending courses as part of her continuing professional development.

Kathleen is also the recommended practitioner in Dubai for Patrick Holford. She has recently become certified in NLP, Time-Line Therapy® and Hypnosis, which complements her work in nutritional therapy.

Wassim Yared

Executive Chef

"Preserve the old, but know the new." (Chinese Proverb)

He has a classic education from the Institute of Hospitality in Lebanon and has worked his way up through renown kitchens of world class restaurants and hotels in different countries. Even at his young age he has developed an innovative style which preserves the traditional ways but is based on healthy methods of preparation and seasonal fresh products. He has an exceptional record of service and international experience. More than 12 years of expertise in all facets of cooking and management for five star Hotels, Restaurants chain, catering. He calls himself a culinary innovator and is currently running his own catering business to prove this. He has also trained kitchen crews around the region on healthy methods of cooking. His last assignment was the setup of a new kitchen for the prominent food delivery service Right Bite in Dubai.

He speaks Arabic, French and English fluently and is a member of Member of Lebanon Chef’s association and a Member of the Emirates Culinary Guild.