The chef
Meet the chef behind the programme
Chef Dairo Lopez — Colombian chef, MasterChef UK 2024 contestant and founder of The Foodie Explorers Club.
Dairo López, Colombian chef
Founder and Culinary Lead — The Foodie Explorers Club
After training at Westminster Kingsway College and working at Selfridges, he rose to prominence thanks to his outstanding performance on the 2024 UK series of MasterChef, where he sought to celebrate his country's heritage.
His cuisine pays homage to his rural roots and the Colombian Caribbean, featuring signature dishes that incorporate ingredients such as cassava, fresh fish and plantain, transformed using haute cuisine techniques.
He is currently the personal chef to a Premier League footballer and, from his catering business in Wimbledon, Dairo blends his passion for family and football with a clear mission: to put the richness of Colombian cuisine on the British cultural map.
Alongside his kitchen career, Dairo is trained in Sport Nutrition and Child Nutrition, so every recipe planned for The Foodie Explorers Club is balanced, age-appropriate and mindful of children's growth and energy needs.
All classes at The Foodie Explorers Club are designed and planned by Chef Dairo Lopez.
Values
- • Real ingredients — nothing from a packet.
- • Small groups so every child gets proper hands-on time.
- • Safeguarding, allergies and inclusion planned into every recipe.
- • Take-home portions where possible, so families can taste it too.