Xanthe inspires young people about conscious eating
Xanthe is an organic chef, grower and food sustainability advocate, who shares her knowledge of seasonal cooking, growing produce and her own recipes on Instagram. One of her main aims is to inspire young people about conscious eating and the power and beauty of nature.
Though she grew up surrounded by the rolling hills of Scotland, Xanthe didn’t always feel so connected to nature. After graduating from The University of Edinburgh, she joined the rat-race in London and got a job in food and drinks marketing. Despite the role being food-focused, she felt unfulfilled - and uninspired by - her life in London, so she packed up and moved home to her parents’ estate in North Wales. Following in the footsteps of her family (especially her grandfather), Xanthe began growing her own produce and soon discovered a passion for seasonal cooking – and creating recipes.
“I would say my passion for sustainability actually came before my passion for cooking. I was fortunate to grow up in a house with chickens and a vegetable patch, so I have always felt attached to farming. My parents have always been passionate about the environment, as were my grandparents. My grandad planted hundreds of apple trees at Hawarden Estate, which is now our family home in North Wales, and now we have a huge orchard - so it almost felt second nature for me to be conscious of seasonality and food.”
Though Xanthe praises large cities for having a variety of organic and seasonal food shops and restaurants, she is also aware of the limitations many people face in terms of access. “It’s such a shame that organic food and places that sell it, such as farmer’s markets, can be so expensive. But everyone can be a little more conscious of where food has come from. Check supermarket labels, and try to buy things that are from places that are as near as possible.
“I always emphasise, if an apple has come all the way from New Zealand, what have they had to do to keep it fresh? A lot of people are unaware of the chemicals and methods used on foreign produce to keep it looking and tasting fresh. When we get tomatoes in winter here, they’ll spray them during transport to ripen! Pesticides are so awful for the environment and wildlife – as well as us.”
Xanthe doesn’t blame the consumer for eating ripe tomatoes off season. She says: “It’s the fault of our large-scale food industry and the corporations which produce this model. People are used to getting certain produce whenever they want, and it’s not their fault. The system needs to change.”
After achieving so much by the age of 27, where does Xanthe see herself in 30 years? “This may be a long-winded answer, but at the centre of my passion is definitely education. I would love to teach kids about healthy eating and the planet, and help them build vegetable patches.
“Education plays a huge role in how I see myself in years to come. I would love to feel like I’ve given some of the knowledge and skills I have back to others, who can pass them on to their family and friends. Hopefully that will keep me happy and fulfilled - though I am very sure it will.”
Our Sustainable Food series features three superhero chefs - Tom Hunt @cheftomhunt , Xanthe Gladstone @xanthegladstone and Hannah Thomas @herbsandwild each prioritise the environment and individual farmers, growers and businesses throughout their cooking. You can follow along in our Sustainable Food series on our Instagram here.