Meet Lauren D’Agostino | Private Chef & Cooking Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren D’Agostino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It was an accident! There wasn’t a strategy or thought process at all, until I started to walk down that path. I had just left a position as a chef/consultant with a local plant-based/gluten-free cafe, and wasn’t quite sure what my next move was. But I knew that I was a step closer to (finally) setting out on my own – I just never knew what it was that I would “do.” I had a huge desire to make an impact in people’s lives, in the area of healthier cooking and healthier being, and enough passion to fuel the learning process. After 3 years of being in business, I finally feel like I’m ready to start one.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My chosen medium of artistic expression is through food – not just in the visual way, but in flavor, first and foremost. Mother Nature is my greatest inspiration. Embracing, emphasizing, and sharing the beauty of more plants on more plates is my greatest joy. It is a privilege to prepare these healing foods in a way that is insanely delicious to eat. In a way, it is interactive art. And most importantly, it heals people.

I love watching the seasons change, and in New England, you can really see that in our food supply. Plant-based ingredients are best in flavor, freshness, and nutritional benefit when they are in season. I feel an obligation to both the planet, and to the people, to cook with seasonal and local ingredients whenever possible. It can be challenging at times, but it is always worth it.

Before I worked with plants, I worked in pastry – pretty much the opposite end of the culinary arts spectrum. When I began my culinary journey, I wasn’t quite clear on what I wanted to do in the future, but I knew that what I had enjoyed in the past was baking (and chocolate!). I followed the path from the beginning, but was open to the influence of others, and my own discoveries. I learned that the food service industry can be a challenging one to thrive in, due to the nature of the work schedule, the general quality of food (nutritionally), and the typical culture that tends to foster addiction and unhealthy habits.

As I was noticing how my intuition was starting to communicate, I noticed that I was feeling numb, despite my search for clarity and direction. I was also feeling sick with burnout, anxiety, and a lapsing sickness of bronchitis that wouldn’t ever fully go away. I realized that the best way for me to truly heal from being sick, and to truly feel alive again, would be to use food as medicine.

Fortunately, I was surrounded by a supportive peer group of healthy eaters and I had great access to fresh fruits and vegetables. My questions were endless, and the responses from those I aspired to be more like were always encouraging, helpful, and enthusiastic. I didn’t know it at the time, but this made a big impact in my success. The other piece that made a huge difference was my mindset about my transitioning toward a plant-based diet.

I knew I wanted to live healthier for the long term, so my transition had to be slow and steady in order to sustain the changes. With that pace in mind, I also thought about what my motivation was, improved health, less impact on the environment, and supporting the ethical treatment of animals. I was a sponge for knowledge and peeking behind the curtain of how our food is produced. Not just the animal agriculture industry, but packaged and convenience foods as well.

The more I learned, the more committed I became. Plus, the food was making me feel better. This is when I had my biggest epiphany – if I could learn to love these flavors and find a way to eat all my favorite foods, I could eat this way for life. And that’s exactly what I did!

Fast forward many years later, and this plant-based cooking journey is one that I passionately share with others, inside the Kitchen Mindset Lab, an online community where we explore what it tastes like to be plant-based. Our focus is adding more plants to more plates, so for some of our students, this means they are not necessarily plant-exclusive. We welcome all eaters, at all stages of their journey! Because, just like I experienced personally, the easiest changes to make are small ones. When you do this consistently, you will be delighted by your progress and new culinary confidence.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Depends on the season, here in New England! If it were a fall visit, there a ton of super seasonal (and delicious!) things to do. I am newish to the Manchester, NH area, and I’ve had a lot of fun exploring. Some of my favorite weeknight plans are to get a table at Board & Brew for local brews and board games (super fun date night!) and sushi at Kisaki (just up the street downtown). For a fancier dinner, Cafe Enoteca/Republic is a cozy and chic spot with a great wine list. There are also a few really cool hidden speakeasy style spots in Manchester and Concord, for craft cocktails and a more swanky scene.

For a friend who loves farm to table, we’d have to check out Pickity Place, a seasonally inspired rustic venue that serves a fixed menu to a limited dining room of guests – a really cool experience. For a crisp fall morning, I love the heading to the PYO (pick your own) fields at Brookdale Farm in Hollis, NH.

Maybe we’d even head north to the Lakes Region to relax in nature, or a bit further into the White Mountains, depending on the season. New Hampshire has so much to offer, There are really awesome state parks, hikes, and even fun attractions for totally unplugging, and playing like a kid again!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t have grown my business mindset so much in such a short time, most recently, if not for the support of my partner (and business coach), Zack. When we met about a year and a half ago, I had been doing my own thing for a little while – I would not have said that I had a business! Our first few conversations were strictly business, and I shared about my visions, prior accomplishments, and most of all – my passion for plant-based. His mentoring and encouragement has helped me to strategize long term, become better in business, and most importantly to really believe in myself and my ability to create anything I desire. I am also super grateful for the family, friends, and people I’ve met through networking who have had an interest in what I’m doing and have cheered me on by way of conversation and hiring me for any of the (many) services I’ve provided over the years.

Website: https://cheflaurenstable.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cheflaurenstable

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/chef-lauren-s-table

Facebook: https://facebook.com/cheflaurenstable

Image Credits
Tracye Gregoire Photography