Sophie Nahmad

Graduate of:
Leiths Certificate in Food and Wine, 2007
Leiths Nutrition in Culinary Practise, 2020

Bio
Sophie is a Recipe Developer, Chef and former market stall founder. She currently works as Lead Recipe Developer at Gousto, where she oversees everything from seasonal collection ideation to final recipe tastings. She leads on major recipe collections and seasonal campaigns, combining creativity with commercial insight to deliver recipes that resonate with a broad audience. Sophie completed the Leiths Certificate at 17 before going on to study Economics at City University. After graduating, she returned to the food world, working in professional kitchens and eventually becoming a Head Chef for an Independent restaurant in Crouch End. Along the way, she launched a small market stall business at Maltby Street and helped set up a food and drinks venture for an arts charity. Her work blends creativity with structure, and she’s passionate about making great food approachable, exciting and full of flavour.

Life before Leiths
Sophie enrolled at Leiths during her A-levels at 17, driven by a long-standing love of food. It gave her a solid technical foundation early on, before she went on to study Economics at university. Although she briefly stepped away from kitchens during her degree, food remained the goal.

What inspired you to enrol at Leiths?
I was obsessed with food from a young age – cooking, watching food shows, reading recipe books cover to cover – but my biggest inspiration was my grandmother. She was an incredible cook, always baking or making beautiful Middle Eastern dishes from scratch. Being in her kitchen made food feel joyful and generous, and I knew I wanted to follow that path. So enrolling at Leiths felt like the natural first step. It gave me the practical skills and confidence I needed before starting my career.

Life after graduation:
After university, I gravitated straight back to food. I started working in kitchens, eventually becoming a Head Chef, and set up a market stall business trading at Maltby Street, Covent Garden and Chelsea Market. I also worked on launching a hospitality project for a charity, which gave me insight into the operational and strategic side of the industry. Eventually I found my way into Recipe Development, which brought everything together – the creativity, the commercial thinking, and the love of food. I now lead development at Gousto, where we create recipes for hundreds of thousands of home cooks every week.”

Any wise words for future grads?
Don’t stress about having everything figured out straight away – your path doesn’t have to be linear. Say yes to things that excite you, even if they’re a bit outside your comfort zone. Whether you’re in a kitchen, writing recipes, or doing something in-between, the experience will shape you. Keep learning, stay curious, and back yourself.