Paul’s Place, a wonderful local charity in Bristol, where she lives. They have a kind of “enjoy center” for adults with disabilities where they can play poker or do other social pastimes. It enhances and improves their everyday lives so they are not forced to stay at home bored because they cannot do everything that everyone else can do. “There’s always so much laughter when you walk in the door, it’s an amazing charity, and why there isn’t one in every city in the UK, I have no idea,” she says. She also works with Bristol Mind, which is a mental health charity. She feels deeply for the cause because she suffered from depression for a long time. Last but not least, she also works with Reach, an organization that helps children with upper limb differences live life without limits. It
It is crucial to have conversations with people with various disabilities—be they physical, mental, learning, or otherwise— about what they need. Often these dialogues happen without those specific people in the room. And that is where problems could happen, and we as a society could improve; so that decisions would not get made without consulting the people for whom they were meant. Just as important is to truly deliver what was discussed alongside people with disabilities. If nothing changes after a constructive meeting, it renders the process moot. Even small changes, like having work surfaces at various heights and making sure that kitchens
are wheelchair accessible, can make a big difference. These things are rarely thought of but can make all the difference in the world. For example, the Great British Bake Off team approached her on whether she would need any accommodations to succeed. She did not need such changes, but the intention, conversation, and commitment to follow through on possible requests secured her trust in the team. After her exciting time on the show, she started working as a TV presenter. In 2022, she joined a program called Escape to the Country , a show where they help city dwellers who want to move to the countryside
helped her mother adapt and adjust as a parent when she was younger, so it was an important charity to her. When it comes to advice on how to improve in the kitchen, she says it is a good idea to start with the basics. Do not start with making a fancy French pastry. Instead, take baby steps with a basic cookie, sponge cake, or bread loaf. Once they are mastered, then move on to something more complicated. This way, one can establish a strong foundation to make something more elaborate. Another key is to stay consistent. Whether an individual has a physical challenge or is just not good
During the competition, she was also able to try new things in a much deeper way. For example, she had obviously made bread before but not to the extent that “bread week” required. The same happened during pastry week when she made a ton of them. She also appreciated having expert judges who have an exceptional knowledge about various items. For example, Paul Hollywood has an eerie sixth sense about bread and can immediately pinpoint what is wrong with them. As someone that did not have the patience to make bread often, Chef Williams needed to focus and do her best in order to advance. Nowadays, she understands bread better, and it has helped her master them. When asked about raising the awareness that people with physical challenges face in the kitchen, she believes that we are getting better. One such example is the increased exposure. “[Showing] disabilities on TV is so important because it… makes people more aware,” she says. “But it also normalizes it because, in the UK, there are nearly 15 million people who have a disability of some kind, which is a lot.” That exposure “gets people talking,” which then creates an open environment for discussions, alterations, and ultimately making our surroundings, including kitchens, more accessible.
for a different lifestyle find their dream homes. She also works on a show called Food Unwrapped , in which she gets to explore different food questions. The team goes into factories, farms, and other locations to answer people’s questions about food and where it comes from. Last but not least, she is also a part of Morning Live ’s kitchen segment, where they take an ingredient and cook it in three different ways. As busy as Chef Williams is, she still makes time to contribute to her community and different charities. One of them is called
at baking or cooking, keep watching those tutorials, use the wealth of knowledge on the internet, and keep trying. “The first sort of cake I made was awful; it was flat as a pancake,” she says. “But the next one was slightly better. And the one after that was slightly better… If you want to get into it, it’s completely doable. You’ve just got to kind of keep going.” Certainly, good advice that not only applies in the kitchen but to life in general!
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