Close Connections: Wayne Vowden – I dreamt of cooking for my family
Wayne Vowden reflects on his journey through sight loss and how a new and unexpected adventure unfolded in his kitchen
There was a moment that marked a real turning point in dad-of-two Wayne Vowden’s life: carefully pulling a perfectly baked and piped victoria sponge out of the fridge and presenting it to his astonished wife and two children. It wasn’t the first time Wayne had baked for them, but it was the first time since he’d lost 99 per cent of his vision. The poignant moment reduced the whole family to happy tears.
Wayne’s vision had gradually reduced to one tiny spec of sight in his left eye, which he describes as “seeing things through a straw against a glare of light”. This was following a lifelong progression of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a rare genetic disorder that involves the breakdown and loss of cells in the retina.
“I’ve never seen my daughter’s full face, but I’m still one of the lucky ones,” says Wayne, 40. “RP can take your sight as early as eight years old, yet I saw my wife walk down the aisle and my children being born.”
However, the impact on his life was huge. “I went from having a technical support job I loved to being registered blind in 2008 with my job becoming untenable. It was a huge change to come to terms with, both practically and emotionally. My wife Jen was wonderful and took over providing for our family, but my feeling of wanting to take care of her and the kids has never left me.”
It was a feeling that surged around birthdays. “Growing up, my mum had always baked a birthday cake for us kids, and I wanted to do the same for mine,” says Wayne. “But, I’d never cooked or baked before due to my eyesight. Jen did all the cooking.”
Wayne’s kitchen journey began on a riverside, where, even after his vision loss, he continued to enjoy his lifelong passion of fishing. Wayne says, “I’m known as ‘The Blind Angler’ and through a fishing competition, I made friends with Joe Dellar, head chef and manager of seafood restaurant, Harbour View in Essex. Joe was doing catch and cooks and he made a joke about me working in his kitchen.”
Wayne laughed it off until one day, Jen was delayed at work and wouldn’t be home in time to cook tea for the children, Zachary, seven and Natalia, three. Usually, Wayne would put together a jam sandwich or order a takeaway.
“But, I didn’t want that this time,” he says. “Instead, I decided to make the kids beans on toast. I video-called my sister and with her direction and Zachary’s help, I moved around the kitchen and made the beans on toast.
“I hadn’t cooked in 12 years and after the kids said how lovely tea had been, I sent a picture to Joe with a voice clip. He could hear how emotional I was about it and messaged back to say, ‘I’m so proud of you, but the portion control was a bit off and the plate’s a bit messy, mate!’ His banter had me laughing out loud.”
Wayne joked about Joe teaching him, not realising that quip would mark the start of a new adventure for the two friends. Wayne says, “Through my volunteer work with RNIB, I helped with a project to get other blind people to follow their dreams. Cooking for my family was mine, so Joe began teaching me, travelling 200 miles to our home once a month, and I began filming our sessions for our YouTube channel, Culinary Vision. It was a hit.”
So far, the pair have cooked homemade pizzas, omelette, pasta and meatballs, and slow-cooked lamb stew, which was a hit with Wayne’s 90-year-old grandmother.
Wayne now has an allotment, growing strawberries to turn into jam, carrots for carrot cake and raspberries for the kids to enjoy in the summer. He’s even felt inspired to brew homemade cider.
“I made that victoria sponge using Jen’s own recipe,” says Wayne. “The kids had so much fun and I was shocked at how that feeling of being able to give something to my children affected me.”
Now Wayne has his work cut out, as Jen used to be a chef herself. “This girl can cook, so if I do it, I have to do it right.” Luckily, the second victoria sponge Wayne baked for Jen’s birthday proved the first cake hadn’t been a fluke.
Wayne says, “None of this would have started without Joe teaching me. It’s a privilege to have such a great chef as my tutor. I’ve learned that even though you might get things wrong as you learn, it’s all right. And, if my journey helps anyone with a disability to go after their dreams, I’d love that.’
This feature originally appeared in Good Food Magazine, July 2022.
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