Meet the woman behind Shred, a new online cooking class aimed to support people with diabetes, obesity, and mental health…

Emma Mountain from Skelmersdale heads the organisation, Shred, which aims to support people in making health transformations. This new program looks set to become a countrywide movement that will help and support those with health issues related to weight as it becomes more popular and in-demand every week. In addition, the program helps promote social inclusion and supports people with issues such as bereavement and mental health issues. 

Emma, who grew up in South Africa, has been passionate about cooking for the last thirty-five years when at twelve years old, she started experimenting with food to feed her siblings while her mother was out at work. Her love for food led her to her first career when she opened a pizzeria that she ran for ten years.  Emma’s career since then has been decorative; she has opened nine coffee shops for Mercedes Benz, 1 for BMW, started a business in edible branding, and built a restaurant in a cowshed made entirely from recycled and upcycled materials! The restaurant was built in the theme of Moulin Rouge and offered a unique venue for photoshoots and events! From this project, Emma began cooking Plant-based food due to the request and demands of her customers.

This restaurant was much more than just a unique food and drink business. It created a movement in South Africa that helped other women become more self-sufficient and encouraged them to be more creative and hands-on with upcycling and recycling projects. 

Emma has gained many qualifications in her field, such as Diabetes, Mental Health, and Nutrition qualifications. She works with many qualified volunteers who deal with elements of the business such as finances, photography, video content, website design and management, and event organising. 

The cooking classes currently take place online on a Wednesday, and there are two-time slots available. The participants get a week to check out the menu and buy in the ingredients, or ingredients can be organised and obtained for free for drop-offs locally.

Emma recently teamed up with Gracious Grub owner, Lucy, to co-host some cooking classes and bring their combined knowledge together to create even more fabulous food that is not only delicious but healthy too! 

“I took part in one of the Shred online cooking classes with my daughter Isobelle. We thoroughly enjoyed making something from scratch with ingredients I would never have thought about using before! It was easy to follow, and I learned a lot about what alternatives can be used to make the food vegan friendly. I can see why these groups are so popular, everyone was so friendly, and the process was fun” – Bev, About the Town Editor.