MAYA X 2SDAYSUPPERCLUB
Images + Words by Scout.
The first time I met Maya, she was dancing around the floor at notorious small plate restaurant in East London; Bambi. She radiated an air of quiet confidence as she effortlessly took orders from customers in her section, her beautiful long braids trailing two steps behind her. We exchanged no more than a hello that day, but I left with a Maya-sized impression on my heart that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Maya has been cooking from the moment she learnt to speak and has recently taken a deep-dive, head and heart first into the culinary world. To her, cooking is the deepest form of affection, it provides a space whereby she has complete freedom to explore and create dishes from the soul.
She welcomes me with a warm embrace and that radiant smile we all know and love her for. With the smell of freshly baked brownies and soft dub playing in the background, I immediately feel at home; A drastic and pleasant change from the ghastly winds and threatening storm brewing outside, as London approaches Autumn.
We spend the next few hours or so visiting every ‘Cash and Carry’, scouting ingredients for her up-coming residency with 2sday Supper Club. She runs me through the plethora of imported goodness; the flavors she associates with home. We talk away the afternoon in her kitchen, cooking and chatting, time no longer a construct.
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Scout
I guess where I wanted to start was from the birth of chef Maya. At what point in your life did you facilitate this change in your career?
Maya
That’s a different question... when I facilitated it and when I wanted to facilitate it. There was a big, big gap between...
When I facilitated it was the start of 2024. I had just got back from Costa Rica, and my mum asked me to cook on one of her retreats. She’s a homeopath and a family constellations facilitator – she runs these gorgeous retreats in the south of Wales and needed a chef.
Scout
When did the yearning to be in the kitchen surface?
Maya
If I can pinpoint it, I think going home (Barbados) for a long period of time, especially on my own, opened so many doors for me and what I wanted. My love of food really became obvious there. I had access to so many things that I didn't before; going to fish markets, farmers markets and cooking all the time.
At that point I realised that this is what I wanted to be doing in my life. I have always wanted to cook but it wasn't until the start of 2024 that I started to make the jump and do freelance stuff. It's kind of just spiraled from there.
Scout
Spiraled in a good way?
Maya
Spiraled in the best way, in a way that I don't think I expected..
Scout
Who taught you to cook?
Maya
I could say it started with my parents, but it really did start with my grandparents. My dad is from Barbados and Mum is Hungarian English. That was an important thing in the kitchen. My dad's mum is ninety something and she is still stood up by the frier frying fish and making rice for all the family barbecues.
There was an expectation early on to cook for ourselves and each-other. I've written about it before on my Substack, but family dinner was so important, to have mealtimes with each other and in that we would also be cooking together. I think the first thing I learned how to cook, completely on my own, was tuna pasta; tuna, pasta and mayonnaise. It’s now our comfort meal. Whenever my sister and I don't know what to have for dinner, it's our go-to.
Scout
What's your love language when it comes to food?
Maya
Words of affirmation. It's interesting because my love language in general is words of affirmation I love reassurance, I love to be loved loudly, and I think that really comes across in my food. If something's not nice I'd really like to be told rather than not, to me that is affirming. I love cooking for people that are grateful for it. Gratitude is a big thing, for me, food and access to food is such a privilege.
Scout
I would have said different for you, you are such a feeder...
Maya
I can thank my parents for that. I think having such a big family, there is nothing done in moderation. You arrive at someone's house; we are feeding you. If I'm showing up somewhere; it won't be empty handed. That’s been instilled in me from a young age. I don't want people to go hungry! I think most things in life, bad feelings in life, come down to you not having a proper meal... and dehydration.
Scout
Pet peeve in the industry?
Maya
My biggest pet peeve is when people are not nice to servers or chefs or even hosts. These people are doing a service for you, be grateful.
Scout
Autumn in London?
Maya
I really love the Autumn. You really notice the abundance of change, visually it is magic, I love seeing the seasons change in London. I grew up in Richmond; next to the park and the river. Smack bang in the middle. Just seeing everything turn. And it is my sister's birthday. I love soup season. It’s funny, in summer its ceviche every day and in the winter its soup.
Seasonal changes in food in London - in particular tomatoes. I do generally think that they are one of the best fruits because they have such a long season and they only get better..
Scout
What is your process of creating a menu? what inspires you to come up with dishes?
Maya
*stirs pot in admiration* “the good thing about curry is that you can just leave it to do its thing... it's always better the next day”
... the biggest inspiration for me is going to the shop. When it comes to making a menu, I really find one fruit or vegetable that I really want to work with and will base the whole thing around that!
I also like working my way backwards if I am doing courses. Start with desert and work my way back... people always think that the main dish is the biggest deal but that’s not always the case. It doesn't always have the be the star of the show, you can have gorgeous things either side that can work succinctly into a menu.
Scout
Two words to describe your menu?
Maya
Home and heritage.
Scout
Dare we touch on a more serious note? 83% of chefs in London are men. How does it feel being a woman in such a male-dominated industry?
Maya
I’ve been quite lucky since moving into kitchens, FOH was rough, I hated that. I have been so lucky with the men that I have worked with. Dan Chambers really facilitated a comfortable transition for me from front of house to the kitchen; he consistently shows his support for me even if he doesn’t realise he’s doing it. I have been lucky in learning so much and feeling supported by the men surrounding me in kitchens.
Don’t get me wrong prior to this, I have dealt with my fair share of backhanded comments, but I have been in the hospitality industry for over ten years.
Knowing that majority of people there are not women can be quite a daunting environment to step into. It’s something I have had to confront nn my own. I know that I am guarded, have my back up and on defense mode immediately, something we are working on... I'm getting better *smirks*. Making women feel comfortable in their work environments is so important, it also just comes down to flow of service, communication and respect for each other. That sometimes falters when you're outnumbered.
Scout
You must be excited about this opportunity then.
Maya
2sday Supper Club embodies everything that my morals align with. I’m not saying that I don't enjoy working with men, but for me it's less about how men make me feel and more about how safe I feel with my female community. I have noticed that my relationships with women are so important and that is reciprocated in my workplace. We (women) are so important to each other.
Scout
What challenge in your field of work is often overlooked?
Maya
It depends on who it is overlooked by? In most opinions it can be overlooked as an easy job to do. I am cooking for eight hours a day, for 200+ people, its hot, I am burning myself, cutting myself. I am not just putting things on a plate and making it look pretty. There is so much time pre, post and during. My ethos around food is that it must be made with love, there is also a lot of emotional energy on top of that. The emotional and the physical strain is often overlooked; people often just assume we are stirring pots.
Scout
One spice, and one spice only to cook with for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Maya
Oh god, chili.
Scout
Herb?
Maya
Coriander.
Scout
Vegetable?
Maya
The age-old argument between fruit and veg.
Scout
I'm not getting into that, veg or savoury fruit then...
Maya
Pepper. No tomato.
Scout:
One dish?
Maya
Tuna pasta, that's my final answer.
Scout
What's your favorite spot in London to eat that you are gatekeeping?
Maya
Well, if I told you, I wouldn't be gatekeeping it would I? There are two but I don't want to expose one of them. Everyone knows about it now so it's no secret but Agora Borough Market.
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Instagram: instagram.com/poetic.plates/
Substack: substack.com/@mayalily