Delicious, human-made & sustainable freezer meals, cooked with love for fast-moving flexitarians.

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What is Solid Stash?

Solid Stash is there for you on those days when you just don't have the time or energy to cook a whole meal, but you still want to eat properly.

Something delicious and fast, but equally good for you and prepared with love by someone who cares.

Five days a week or once a month, planned or last minute: your 'Stash is ready to go in your freezer when you need it, and won't spoil if you don't.

Deliciousness will always be our priority.

We spent nine years at the forefront of London's glorious food scene, working alongside its most talented chefs on ridiculously exciting events and Michelin star restaurant projects.

We love to pack our cooking with layer upon layer of flavour, and infuse our food with London's multicultural vibes.

All of our meals are totally vegetarian, and in most cases: totally plant-based.

Because we're crazy passionate about how delicious plants are. And because we truly believe every little effort helps to make our planet a bit more sustainable.

Whether you're a hardcore vegan, or a hungry flexitarian.

Pinch of Lily is umbrella that holds my activities as a food and hospitality entrepreneur:
Vegan / vegetarian cooking workshops | Food, events and hospitality consulting | Solid Stash

- Vegan / vegetarian cooking workshops:
I'm on a mission to showcase how mindbogglingly amazing and non-intimidating plant-based and vegetarian food can and should be. In my workshops, expect a positive, non-cynical view on the wonderful world of flexitarian living and non-processed food that is cooked with love. Gold nuggets of know-how about upgrading your food to next-level deliciousness as well as a few neat, cheffy tricks. And simply super tasty, vibrant and colourful family style food that will wow your guests.

- Food, events and hospitality consulting:
The food scene is most definitely in flux. Being aware of how important it is to include more plants and less animal products in what we eat - and a focus on sustainability in general - is increasingly urgent and crucial each day.

With 9 years at the forefront of London’s food scene & trends, an obsession with delicious and imaginative veggie/vegan cooking, and bringing over 10 years of commercial experience on all sides of the hospitality and events industries to the table, I will enthusiastically tackle your veggie/vegan menu development, event matters, or anything in between with you.

Please feel free to send me a message so we can organise an introductory chat and progress things from there.

- Solid Stash:
Delicious, human-made & sustainable freezer meals, cooked with love for fast-moving flexitarians

The Food Initiative is not your typical event caterer. We create extraordinary experiences through food. Food that delivers edible emotion in every bite. Food that your guests will remember for years to come.

Our approach to creating events is as unique as the events we deliver. Our team, led by founder Mark Jankel and Head of Events, Lily Imschoot, brings together exceptional culinary creativity and passion for food and drink with unrivalled event and operations expertise. From the first meeting to the day of your event, our team work personally with you to shape and bring your vision to life, creating incredible, innovative menus, stunningly presented and prepared using the finest ethical ingredients.

Our events are bespoke, tailored to your specific needs. We don’t do set menus. We take the time to understand exactly what you want to achieve. We see each and every challenge as an opportunity to wow you and your guests, using the decades of experience we have across high-end bespoke catering, Michelin star restaurants and sexy, sustainable street-food.

Over the years we have partnered with the best and most passionate experts in the industry to bring together a team that excels in every department. Come and talk to us about your vision and we will get to work to bring your ideas to life in ways you can’t imagine.

Buyagift.com is the UK’s leading gift experience provider and is owned by global leader in the industry Smartbox. I have taken full ownership of the Gourmet and Days Out categories, consistently securing average annual growth of 30%, over-achieving on ambitious revenue and margin targets, and developing the Gourmet category into the business’ strongest growth area. Role reported directly to the Buying Director.

Key responsibilities:

- Business Development: expert in building strong, long-term partnerships based on strategically designed product pipelines and understanding market needs, whilst also consistently succeeding to negotiate substantial margins. Secured contracts with VIP Partners like Prezzo, Zizzi, Hilton Waldorf, Benares, Searcys, Galvin, Hotel Chocolat, etc.

- Trading: full accountability over steep revenue budgets and highest-in-industry margin target. My categories consistently exceeded margin and revenue targets through continuous evaluation of: competitors and industry trends, sales data, web merchandising and content; and proactive leveraging of my categories into Marketing and other departments.

- Account Management: proactive relationship management with hundreds of Partners, including more than 50 VIP’s, to secure strong new offers and increase margin. Achievement: successfully negotiated contracted margin for key premium account up from 16.8% to 33.7% by coordinating with Marketing for full exposure resulting in proven sales result and by developing a strong business relationship with the Partner.

- Project Management: proactively and successfully took the lead in a number of top-line, business-critical projects, e.g. partner relationship management project, and business manual creation for new technology that was causing confusion, immediately reducing issues by 75%.

PretAChef.com is a new, London-based online marketplace connecting food lovers and chefs for private dining experiences. I work on all aspects of online and offline Marketing, PR and Social Media - on a freelance basis.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is responsible for preparing and staging the London 2012 Games - the equivalent of 46 simultaneous World Championships.

Department planned, contracted, managed and delivered 1 million bed nights spread over more than 300 accommodation providers in and around London, for the benefit of over 70,000 accredited Games Family and their guests.

As an Account Manager I oversaw the Accommodation/Hospitality hotel programmes of 24 Top and Tier 3 Sponsors of London2012. Reporting to the Head of Accommodation. Clients included Procter & Gamble, Omega, Samsung, Panasonic, Atos, Deloitte, Heineken, and Westfield.

Achievements:
- Proactively took the initiative to negotiate cost savings of £120k to resolve a long-standing issue
- Excellent planning skills resulting in zero issues during the Games
- Forged and maintained strong B2B relationships with clients, suppliers, and other departments
- Took charge of training, briefing and managing +20 Games Makers (volunteers) for the duration of the London2012 Games

Hill & Knowlton Strategies is an international network of communications agencies with 79 offices spread over 44 countries.

Worked with account managers and consultants on a large amount of well-known brands, mainly focusing on food and lifestyle accounts. Reporting to the Managing Director of Belgian Public Relations. Clients included: Kellogg’s, Chiquita, Adidas, Alpro, Blackberry, GlaxoSmithKline, and Deloitte.

The Oval Office (formerly: GUAVA) is a leading Belgian agency specialising in corporate and marketing events, strategic communications (print and online), field marketing, hospitality, public relations and corporate design.

Supported event account and operations managers, contributing to all phases of an event: briefing, conceptual phase, pitch, development, production, billing, debriefing. Main clients: BMW and MINI.

De Studio (former: Villanella) is a performing arts organisation specialised in the production and presentation of contemporary arts (mainly theatre, dance, literature and music) for two “targeted” groups: children (5-14) and young people (15-25).

Assisted in the Communications Department, being very engaged in several projects and events concerning literature and political awareness: De Gouden Uil 2009, De Inktaap 2009, De Nachten, De Eerste Keer, Blok-Bloc.

When I needed a student job during my final years of high school / first year of university, I was determined to use this opportunity to refine my cooking skills, despite having no formal experience and being fully self-taught.

I proactively approached restaurant "Vienna" (one of the finest restaurants in Lokeren, Belgium) and after successfully completing a trial I ended up working at the restaurant as an assistant chef for three summers.

Team of three: aside from assisting the head chef and sous chef with the mise en place, I was responsible for cold preparations, salads, and desserts during both lunch and dinner shifts.

Skills: knife skills, cleanliness, organisation, attention to detail, tasting, multitasking, team player, consistency, technique, hygiene, presentation, seasoning, time management.