Lynette Foo
“This 18 year journey has been such a rewarding experience, firstly starting the school from my home and then moving twice to bigger premises. I have seen thousands of participants improve their culinary and baking skills during this period. I am happy that Palate Sensations and the chef instructors continue to shape the changing landscape of Singapore’s culinary scene.”
Lynette holds a Diplome de Cuisine (French Cuisine) and a Thai Cuisine Certificate from Le Cordon Bleu; a Level 3 Raw Food Chef Certification from Pure Joy Culinary Academy, and a Certificate in Asian Pastry from BITC. Lynette is also an MOE (Ministry of Education) registered instructor.
She chose the chef profession as part of her high school career experience and spent one week working in the kitchens of the famous Summit Restaurant in Sydney, Australia. That week turned out not quite as disastrous as she had predicted and she actually did well enough for the Executive Chef to consider her for an apprenticeship. When it came to career choices, Lynette pursued a career in Accounting & Finance more out of the fact that she received a scholarship to attend university rather than for her love of all things analytical. However, throughout her corporate career, Lynette’s passion for cooking and food continued to grow as she traveled the world. She started to amass a sizable collection of recipes and never stopped entertaining her family and friends wherever she set up home. After working more than 12 years in the corporate world in Australia, Asia and Switzerland, she decided to follow her true passion and in January 2005, Palate Sensations was born in Lynette’s home kitchen. Lynette’s cooking has been heavily influenced by her family while growing up in an Aussie household and from her travels around the world. Lynette’s philosophy on cooking is that it should be fun, simple and fuss free. Lynette believes everyone can cook – it just takes a bit of practice. She encourages everyone to learn how to cook as it is a skill that will stand them in good stead and the benefits last a life time.
In 2006, realising that interest in food and cooking classes were growing in Singapore, she decided to search for and build a dedicated cooking studio to better facilitate the classes which are always conducted on a hands on basis. Taking a back seat to teaching, she now works with a team of ever changing chef instructors who bring their international and local culinary expertise to the school. Lynette now focuses on the PR, Marketing and Business Development side of the business. Epitomising the modern, sophisticated woman, her aim is to bring together a wide range of cuisines and make them accessible to all who love to cook or eat by showing them how easy, fun and fuss free it is. Her clients embody her image and are mainly professional working men & women and large multinational corporations who engage Palate Sensations for corporate team bonding events and private functions.
In September 2010, due to popular demand and space constraints, Lynette decided to relocate the studio from leafy Wessex Estate to the sprawls of a commercial complex at Biopolis. Without losing the intimacy and cosiness of Wessex Estate, the Biopolis studio takes the concept of cooking classes to the next level as it aims to bridge the gap between the sophisticated home gourmand and a professional chef. Designed with efficiency and equipped with both commercial equipment and domestic appliances, the Biopolis studio allows the participant to work with the very best and latest in the market.
In 2023, with the world officially declaring COVID over, she took the plunge and started Palate Sensations Team Building - Malaysia in April. Using the facilities inside Cookhouse, Malaysia\'s capacity is double that of Singapore with 3 commercial kitchens and seating capacity for 80 participants.
Lynette was born in Malaysia but grew up in Australia. She is an Australian citizen and a permanent resident of Singapore. She studied Chinese at Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, China. She graduated with an Accounting degree from University of New South Wales, Australia (courtesy of a scholarship from KPMG) and has an MBA from IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland. Lynette is also a qualified Chartered Accountant. She is a First Aider and has a First Aid Certificate from Red Cross.
Lynette is passionate about senior health and fitness for women. She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer by The American Council of Exercise. Seeking a balance in life is key and being an outdoor person, she exercises 6 days a week and very often wakes up early in the morning to compete in half marathons, climb mountains, play tennis or practice yoga. So far, she has climbed Mt Agung and Mt Batur in Bali, Mt Rinjani in Lombok and Mt Kinabalu in Malaysia. In 2012 and 2013, she walked the spiritual path The Camino de Santiago in Spain and The Six Foot Track in The Blue Mountains, Australia. In 2014, she trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. In 2017, she trekked The Overland Track in Tasmania and Larapinta Trail in The Red Centre in Australia. In 2019, she climbed Fansipan in Vietnam, the highest mountain in Indochina and hiked to Jomolhari Base Camp in Bhutan. In 2022, she trekked all over Kakadu National Park in Northern Territory, Australia. In September 2023, she successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free standing mountain in the world. Lynette is a staunch supporter of animal rescue and the “adopt, don’t shop” philosophy. She is a devoted slave to 3 mischievous cats at home.
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