tAOR’S Journey
Many people ask me about my name, which has no meaning other than that it was made up from random letters taken out of my mother’s and father’s names. Pretty unique, huh? It is also pronounced Tay-or in case you are wondering.
My love for food began long before Potluck Cornwall ever existed, right in my grandparents’ kitchen.
My Nanna learned to cook as a young girl growing up in India, and over the years she turned cooking into an art form. Every meal she made was packed with warmth, flavour, and love. Looking back, I wish I had paid closer attention to all her kitchen magic because there are dishes I still dream about recreating today.
My Oupa brought his own incredible influences to the table, too. With Chinese, Irish, and Afrikaans roots, he added a completely different blend of flavours, traditions, and stories to our family meals. Together, my grandparents created a table filled with vibrant food, laughter, and unforgettable gatherings.
Those moments around the table shaped who I am. They taught me that food is more than just something we eat, it brings people together, tells stories, creates memories, and makes strangers feel like family.
I realise that many people still think Potluck Cornwall means you have to bring a dish.
Sometimes you do, but that's never really been what the name was about for me.
Potluck Cornwall has always represented the unexpected for me: the people you'll meet, the conversations you'll have, and the connections that happen when food brings us together.
Whether around a shared table, at a Supper Club, or in a local restaurant, the heart of Potluck Cornwall for me has always been about community.
Taors’ background
At school, I dreamed of becoming a chef, which led me to earning my National Diploma in Hospitality and Catering from West Kent College in 2005. But somewhere along the way, I realised my true passion wasn’t in the kitchen; it was bringing people together around the table. I loved the atmosphere, the storytelling, the laughter, and creating memorable experiences through food.
After moving to Cornwall in 2012, an unexpected opportunity appeared thanks to the magic of Twitter. As huge fans of Australian MasterChef, my family and I connected online with Kumar Pereira. What started as a conversation quickly turned into something extraordinary.
Within just five days, we had contacted his publishers, ordered his cookbooks, organised an event, and welcomed Kumar, his wife, and mother-in-law to Cornwall for a live cooking demonstration and dining experience at the wonderful Philleigh Way Cookery School on the Roseland.
Fourteen guests joined us for an unforgettable evening featuring hand-dived Cornish mussels in curry sauce, seared salmon with coconut and tamarind, and Kumar’s Sri Lankan sweet and sour prawns with young coconut rice. The event was filmed by Cornwall TV, tickets sold out at £20 a head, and honestly, it was one of those real “pinch me” moments that showed me the power food has to connect people.
That experience planted the seed for Potluck Cornwall.
Potluck Cornwall officially began in 2014 with support from Peter Hadfield of Roselidden Farm, and I’ve proudly run it independently since the end of that year. What started as simple “Chat & Nibble” evenings designed to bring people together over good food and support local businesses during quieter seasons has grown into a thriving food and social dining community across Cornwall.
Today, our popular “Chat & Eat” nights take place at exciting restaurants, cafés, and hidden gems around the county, while our traditional Potluck evenings invite members to cook and share homemade dishes around a common theme. Alongside these events, I also organise food talks, producer visits, festival trips, cookery classes, foraging experiences, tasting evenings, family events, and food-inspired day trips.
Over the years, we’ve shared incredible meals, discovered amazing local businesses, and most importantly, built genuine friendships around the table.
What I love most is creating spaces where nobody feels like they have to eat alone. There’s something incredibly special about watching strangers become friends over a shared meal. From intimate gatherings of 10 people to large community events for 150 guests, every experience I create is built around connection, inclusivity, and bringing people together through food.
When I’m not running Potluck Cornwall, I work on creative projects through The Social Leopard, helping businesses stand out through branding, websites, and social media marketing.
I’m also currently studying for a Creative Events Management degree at Falmouth University because I’m passionate about learning new ways to create meaningful experiences. As part of this journey, I founded The Shared Table Society, a student initiative designed to help tackle loneliness and isolation through shared meals and community gatherings.
Creating spaces like this is deeply important to me because I’ve seen how food breaks down barriers. It removes social pressure and allows people from different backgrounds and cultures to gather together.
My inbox is always open if you’d like to attend an event, collaborate, or simply connect.
Because food really is better when eaten together.