The well-travelled chef helping men live a healthy life

Chef Neville Mott has travelled the world and worked in five-star restaurants, but you can sense the joy he gets from his latest job.

He’s head chef at residential drug rehabilitation centre Adele House, located in the Bucca Valley, near Coffs Harbour.

Adele House, supported by the PAYCE Foundation and run by the Salvation Army, has an outstanding record of rehabilitating men back into society.

Chef Neville Mott – helping men turn around their lives with healthy eating.

The 40-bed centre, nestled in a peaceful valley and equipped with a swimming pool and gym, is the perfect location for turning a life around.

The choice is a stark one for men addicted to alcohol or drugs – go into rehab or spend time in jail.

While the setting is breathtaking, it is the hard-working staff that make the difference and nutrition is a critical part of the plan.

Neville remembers one client who refused to eat a vegetable or a salad.

“It took me a while, but he’s now eating salads and he’s enjoying it,” Neville said.

Much of the produce used in the cooking is grown on the farm.

“The thing we talked about was breaking the cycle; changing their habits from bad eating to good eating,” he said.

He said nutrition is an important part of the program, along with the counselling and work on the nearby blueberry farm.

Neville enjoyed his life travelling the world working long hours in top restaurants, but these days he’s happy cooking good food and watching men begin a healthy new chapter in their lives.

“We are winning because we are showing the benefits of eating fresh fruit and vegetables,” he said.