Hi! I’m Zara, and I’m the heart behind gourm8. A place where I get to share my love for cooking, creativity, and connection through food.

By profession, I’m a CPA. For years, my days revolved around balance sheets, financial reports, and tax seasons. But behind the scenes, there was always another passion simmering quietly: food. Not just eating it, but experiencing it. Creating it. Sharing it.

In the summer of 2024, I finally decided to stop treating food as a weekend love affair and give it a proper place in my life. That’s when gourm8 was born. A blog and social page where I get to pour my creativity into every plate.

I love developing new recipes from scratch, drawing inspiration from memories, travels, or even a dish I once tasted at a tucked-away restaurant. Sometimes, it’s a flavour that lingers in my mind. Other times, it’s the texture of a perfect bite that I chase until I recreate it in my kitchen.

Coffee is my ritual, books are my companions, and nature is where I go to think, breathe, and reset. I’ve always believed that art is everywhere – in a sunrise, in a brushstroke, and most definitely in a beautifully plated dish. Cooking, for me, is another form of storytelling and expression. It’s where logic meets instinct.

Through creating food content, I’ve discovered a passion I didn’t know existed in me:  photography and cinematography. Capturing moments in the kitchen, from the first sizzle in the pan to the final plated dish, has become one of my favourite creative outlets. It’s added a whole new layer to how I experience food and has deepened my appreciation for art in all its forms.

What I love most about food, though, is its power to bring people together. A table shared is a bond formed. Whether it’s a quiet breakfast, a celebratory feast, or a spontaneous dinner with friends, food connects us in ways words sometimes can’t.

gourm8 isn’t just a food blog. It reflects who I am, structured yet creative, grounded yet always curious. Here, you’ll find comforting classics, bold experiments, and everything in between. My goal is simple: to inspire you to fall in love with cooking, the same way I did.

Thank you for being here. I hope you stay for a while and, maybe, find your next favourite recipe.