Laurie is a mother of 4, who has, over the past 30 years, developed a passion for cooking and baking healthy food, as well as a passion for coffee, travelling and community.
"My name is Laurie, I'm a mother of 4, who has, over the past 30 years, developed a passion for cooking and baking healthy food, as well as a passion for coffee, travelling and community. It was always a goal of mine to make healthy food taste good, so my children and husband would eat it. The food you put into your body is so important. It should taste good, and should also give you the energy needed to feel strong, enjoy life, contribute to your family and community, and to be the best person you can be in mind, body and spirit. While my children were young, I explored alternative cooking and liked to play with different ingredients and flavours. As a young child, I was the baker and cook in the family, always enjoying creating something new and creative to make someone feel special. The kitchen has always been my favourite room in the house. It's where we entertained and where we just hung out with friends and family as well. I'm a self taught baker and cook, reading lots and watching lots of cooking shows, taking some courses, and learning from experience.
As a family, we travelled quite a bit with our children, and one way of getting to know these places were through the local coffeehouse. We all were excited to meet the owners and observe the locals, and knew this was the place to find good coffee and good food, and to know what was happening in the community. This was my inspiration for creating Station 1 Coffeehouse. I wanted to create a local community hub, provide good organic, fair trade coffee and tea, as well as fresh made food, with lots of healthy options, which also had to be delicious. It's now grown to be a community hub, with trivia nights, fundraisers, art shows and displays, and music events. I have a great manager Nicki Manley, who looks after the business and holds it to the standards and the vision in which it was created, and I am deeply grateful for her and for the team she leads. Now that I have confidently handed off the reigns of Station 1 to Nicki, I am able to pursue health and wellness studies, particularly in the ayurvedic realm, which enhances my knowledge, understanding and passion for food to help my family, friends and others in our community".
