Keith Abela

About Keith

With over 20 years of experience under his belt Keith has worked as a chef, preservation & development consultant, food science lecturer, writer, editor, sustainability manager and restaurant owner. His experiences and holistic approach make him unique in the field of consultation.

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Full Bio

Born into a farming and fishing family, Keith has always been in direct contact with the land and at the age of 14 he scored his first chef job. After graduating, he trained and studied across Europe finally settling back home to open Sammy’s, Malta’s first fully local restaurant with sustainable fish and foraging being the core of the concept.

His studies in multi-sensory flavour perception & preservation led him to give his first public talk for Malta Café Scientifique, and for over a decade Keith has been a lecturer at MCAST, the Mediterranean Culinary Academy and guest lecturer at university. He was also a contributing editor for Served! Magazine, an independent food writer for several magazines, creative director of Natural Preserves as well and guest on several TV & radio shows. He also sits as a board member for several NGO’s and Projects, like Food Connect and other sustainability projects.

Foraging, spearfishing, gardening, and other works in mycology all play a crucial role in his work-life ethos; both of which are drastically intertwined.

He now heads his own R&D lab where he runs experiments for various players in the entire food industry and is also Head of sustainability for Ion by Simon Rogan. The combination of Keith’s experiences, lifestyle and multi-disciplinary approach to gastronomy gives him the unique ability to translate this complex interwoven industry in a holistic manner. To be able to communicate between several industries and come up with real solutions.

Collaborating Experts

A meticulously organized stainless-steel consulting workspace in a modern test kitchen, with a central, spotless metal worktable covered in neatly arranged tasting spoons, small glass sample bowls of vibrant sauces, and a slim open laptop displaying graphs and charts (screen content abstracted). Surrounding the table are professional-grade ovens, induction hobs, and a wall of labeled ingredient jars. Soft, diffused daylight pours in from a high side window, creating gentle reflections on the steel and subtle shadows on the tiled floor. Shot at eye level with a slightly wide angle and shallow depth of field, the foreground table in crisp focus and the background gear softly blurred. The mood is professional, analytical, and calm, in clean, photographic realism suitable for food industry consulting.

Aarav Sharma

CEO

Operations strategist supporting large-scale catering projects with workflow optimization and cost-effective, food-safe processes.

A polished wooden conference table set for a food strategy workshop, covered with neatly stacked printed briefs (no readable text), color-coded sticky notes, and several large white ceramic plates each holding carefully plated sample dishes in different stages of development. Beside them, clear glass tumblers of water and a closed leather notebook with a sleek metal pen rest in orderly positions. Tall shelves of culinary reference books and minimal framed food process diagrams line the background. Warm overhead pendant lighting casts even, inviting illumination, with soft shadows under plates and papers. Captured from a slightly elevated three-quarter angle using photographic realism, the composition uses the rule of thirds to balance the table and background. The atmosphere feels focused, collaborative, and distinctly professional, emphasizing thoughtful food consultation rather than casual dining.

Mateo García

CTO

Food manufacturing specialist focusing on quality systems, compliance, and scalable production improvements for complex facilities.

A meticulously organized stainless-steel consulting workspace in a modern test kitchen, with a central, spotless metal worktable covered in neatly arranged tasting spoons, small glass sample bowls of vibrant sauces, and a slim open laptop displaying graphs and charts (screen content abstracted). Surrounding the table are professional-grade ovens, induction hobs, and a wall of labeled ingredient jars. Soft, diffused daylight pours in from a high side window, creating gentle reflections on the steel and subtle shadows on the tiled floor. Shot at eye level with a slightly wide angle and shallow depth of field, the foreground table in crisp focus and the background gear softly blurred. The mood is professional, analytical, and calm, in clean, photographic realism suitable for food industry consulting.

Zuri Ndlovu

Engineer

Curriculum designer who co-develops training programs for culinary schools and industry partners worldwide.

A polished wooden conference table set for a food strategy workshop, covered with neatly stacked printed briefs (no readable text), color-coded sticky notes, and several large white ceramic plates each holding carefully plated sample dishes in different stages of development. Beside them, clear glass tumblers of water and a closed leather notebook with a sleek metal pen rest in orderly positions. Tall shelves of culinary reference books and minimal framed food process diagrams line the background. Warm overhead pendant lighting casts even, inviting illumination, with soft shadows under plates and papers. Captured from a slightly elevated three-quarter angle using photographic realism, the composition uses the rule of thirds to balance the table and background. The atmosphere feels focused, collaborative, and distinctly professional, emphasizing thoughtful food consultation rather than casual dining.

Leila Haddad

Designer

Research collaborator bringing data analysis, sensory evaluation, and trend insights to evidence-based food strategies.