It all started when Silvia met a funky girl at the health food store where she used to work.
This girl, called Ann, was doing an experiment. It consisted of only shopping at local independent stores or charities, and consuming only local organic produce provided by local and ethical companies. Even the packaging had to be recyclable.
Silvia thought Ann was a cool and smart girl; she loved her idea and decided to do something …she wasn’t entirely sure what exactly… but something. One day, while rinsing her sprouts, the idea came like a bolt of lightning… it was the birth of “The Raw Deli”!
Silvia challenged herself to consume mainly local, seasonal and organic produce, from local farmers and prepare it without heating it above 45 degrees centigrade.
After making the most of her creative skills in the kitchen and receiving great interest from curious friends, she realized that there was a great potential and took the idea a step further, creating “The Raw Deli”.
Silvia was educated by a chef (her dad) and for as long as she can remember has spent countless hours in the kitchen helping out. As any great chef knows, the bottom rung of the ladder is not glamorous. She helped out by washing and peeling, but always observing, and by the time she left her parents at 17 she could prepare a diverse range of interesting and mouth-watering meals.
Her dad is an energetic and talkative vegetarian chef who has travelled to many countries all around the planet, and as such Silvia was taught to mix local ingredients with overseas techniques. Being a vegetarian chef in Spain was (and still is) a rare thing, and in the pre-internet days developing an imagination was crucial, thus the whole family learned to develop theirs and became very creative.
Silvia’s mum is an expert forager, she gives guided tours around the local mountains and explains all about the wild plants she finds on her way, from the beneficial properties to the old mythic tales.
Her mum knows the best traditional dishes; she is a wise woman with heaps of patience and love - essential for traditional Mediterranean food. These characteristics were also passed on to Silvia. Her mum also works in the agricultural department in Spain, and comes from a farmers’ family. That’s why Silvia has great concern about the way we treat farmers and encourages people to go to the farmers’ market. She also understands the importance in the quality of the food, and how it’s treated during its journey from the fields to your plate.
After leaving home, she travelled to all five continents, more than thirty countries in total. Always curious about the different flavours and skills she observed, she found herself becoming even more resourceful.
Silvia has a great respect and admiration for those who grow food, which is why she makes every effort to use local and seasonal produce in her courses and products sold at market.
The Raw Deli’s mission is to show you the amazing potential of living foods, teaching and delighting you with dishes that are mouthwatering and healthy at the same time.