Meet Our Team
Our executive Directors are Stephanie Hayman and Pieter van Zyl. Our non-executive Director is Duncan Preston.
We also rely heavily on our team of fabulous volunteers. Find out more about our volunteer roles.
Peter Van Zyl
Pieter van Zyl is Director of Food & Education and manages everything with cooking and teaching. He leads many of the cookery courses and heads the food team at Chequers Kitchen. Pieter has been a chef since moving from his native South Africa to train and work in Switzerland as a young man.
You will find Pieter teaching classes, leading team building events and cooking for private dining lunches and dinners.
Stephanie Hayman
Stephanie Hayman is Director of Business & Social Impact. Stephanie looks after everything that doesn’t directly involve cooking or teaching. Stephanie makes sure the Chequers Kitchen Cookery School runs smoothly and works behind the scenes to develop the social enterprise goals and Keen2Cook classes.
In 2013, Stephanie was recognised as Kent Life and Kent on Sunday’s Fine Food and Drink Hero for her work in raising the standards of school food in East Kent through Whole School Meals CIC.
Ralph Cade
Ralph has always had a passion for food. He cooked his first omelette at the age of six. After a career in London, Ralph set up The Dining Club in Deal seven years ago, bringing a different menu to the table every week for over 5 years. He now teaches for us, including some of our recreational cookery classes as well as leading cooking sessions with local teenagers.
Duncan Preston
Duncan Preston in a non-executive Director but keeps a close eye on our finances and financial management.
Karen Anderson
Karen Anderson is Pieter’s assistant. Karen joined one of our very first Keen2Cook classes in 2012 and now helps cook, teach and look after our lovely venue. Karen is an excellent cook and leads the team for our Friends’ Sunday lunches.
Debbie Templeton
Debbie Templeton is Stephanie’s assistant and looks after our marketing and volunteer team. Debbie also hosts our Friends’ Sunday lunches.
Sugarcane Thonglor
Sugarcane Thonglor teaches our popular authentic Thai cooking classes.
Debbie Keutenius
Debbie Keutenius is a passionate home baker and leads our children’s Saturday morning classes and children’s parties.
Lauren Waller and Harry Hayman look after our guests at dining and team building events. Harry also makes most of our short videos.
If you have an interest in cooking and would like to get involved, we are looking for volunteers. Find out how you can become a Volunteer.
Based by the seaside in Deal, Kent
Our location in East Kent, alongside Royal Cinque Ports Golf Course, is both beautiful and convenient with easy access from Deal, Sandwich and Dover, Kent. Behind the scenes, we are a social enterprise offering free and subsidised Keen2Cook classes for low income and disadvantaged local people.