Tell me a little about yourself?

Whilst Jet Candy (https://jet-candy.com/) is my more private travel-related business venture, my day job involves working in the high-octane world of luxury, high-end design, hotellerie and overall the media relations in the travel and wellbeing sector (http://www.rmgandco.com).  I have spent most of my career at the core of this industry – working alongside Signor Giorgio Armani himself in Milan, and subsequently hotelier and couturier Anouska Hempel in London.  I still count both of them as my lifetime mentors.  I spent many years at Asprey Bond Street as International PR, which culminated in running the Asprey and Ferrari Formula One Sponsorship program from 1996 to 1999 building and bringing together all great personalities that particular circuit attracts. I have had the pleasure of representing some of the most prestigious resorts and residences in Europe, as well as a range of fine luxury brands.  Travel and learning has always been a big driving aspect in my life, be it for my  business as well as for leisure.  The flip side of that, however, is that I had clocked up enough air miles to have had my circadian rhythms disrupted more times than I would care to think about… so here enters Jet Candy.

When and how did you start up Jet Candy?

It was my niece’s graduation in LA some 15 years ago that served as the catalyst for creating what has become Jet Candy.  I was travelling from London and wanted to do whatever I could to avoid jet lag, and I was also loath to take harsh prescription medication.  I could find no simple, healthy, and natural solution on the market, so I visited one of London’s most renowned homeopaths in order to get a bespoke remedy made.  The result was this tailor-made homeopathic remedy in pill form – so easy to take, that I was astonished by how effective they were.  I arrived in LA feeling fresh and clear-headed, and with none of the ill effects associated with an eight-hour difference in time zones.  Thereafter, I would offer this remedy to friends and family, who reported similarly positive benefits.  Demand grew to the point that three years ago I felt duty-bound to make Jet Candy official, and I launched the brand at ILTM Cannes in 2017 making it more readily available to the long-haul travelistas. The response to date has been really positive and it is heartening to think that, perhaps, jet lag will soon be a thing of the past, with just a simple natural remedy.

What was the inspiration behind it?

I have always had an interest in homeopathy, wellbeing and the benefits that a simple remedy can bring – that’s the reason I paid a visit to my homeopath all those years ago to seek a jet lag remedy.  When demand for my remedy started to grow, that was really what began the seed of a business idea – to create a 100% natural, homeopathic remedy to help combat jet lag, that could be brought to market officially.  That’s been my mission ever since, and we have been fairly disruptive in the homeopathic market place, which usually treads so carefully, yet cures hundreds of thousands of ailments quietly and harmlessly.

Apart from Jet Candy, name three travel essentials?

Since we can’t really ignore the fact that we’re now talking about travel in the age of contagion, I would say the 3-essentials are the face-mask, hand sanitiser and gloves – to just ensure safety and hygiene. I will soon be launching a new product in the Jet Candy range, which as well as the Jet Candy remedy, will include these three elements – all produced from the bespoke world of Jet Candy. It will be the Jet Candy Travel & Safety Kit, and I hope to launch it in the next months (long-haul flights being appropriate). It will be a bespoke Jet Candy neoprene pouch that’s ready to go, packed with all the essentials you need in a new-age travel kit. The plan is to give a one-stop hygiene solution with the jet lag remedy, so there is no worry to be forgetting anything as you rush out of the door…It can of course also hold you phone and passport, as you need to keep this pouch handy in-flight. 

Preferred airline?

Strangely – in the more recent years, my long-haul travel has decreased immensely, so my go-to airline for flexibility, ease and short-haul is EasyJet as I spend half of the year in Italy, so it is a bit of a shuttle service…

Describe yourself in three words?

Positive, empathetic and driven.  I’ve always been a “it can be done” person, and I love the buzz and positive energy I get from working with lots of different people from all walks of life.  Some of my best projects have been borne from collaborations, and so it’s important to be understanding, and to appreciate what other people can bring to the table, and listen…  That said, I’ve always worked for myself in the last 20 years, so I’ve had to be very driven and proactive – but particularly so when it comes to Jet Candy.  When you’re your own boss, running a PR business and launching your very own product, you need to feel where  true interest lies with a more personal approach, keeping the momentum of the big story, but at the same time staying sensitive to what the right positioning is within the PR-scape. It’s a delicate balance to PR your own brand.

Where is your happy place?

Lago Maggiore in Italy.  There is just something very comforting about being able to stand at the shores of this stunningly elegant old-world lake, where I grew up, and take in the view across the water which still reflect the magnificent the Alps beyond. Nothing has really changed here. It is a comfort. I’ve never once seen the same colour sunset in all my years of coming here.  It’s a place that I instinctively think of whenever I need to tune into “home”. Now lockdown eases (?)  I hope to soon get in my Fiat 500 Abarth, to blow the lockdown cobwebs off the wing mirrors, and drive my way across Europe to the shores of the lake.

A restaurant or chef that inspires you?

The Tippling Club in Singapore is a truly avant-garde culinary experience. Chef (and owner) Ryan Clift creates something close to theatre with his food.  The bar is the best place to be to get involved in the action of the preparation.  I also love the trendy décor – large nets of chicken wire filled with light bulbs illuminate all the tables.  Every single thing here is a feast for the eyes…and the taste buds! And over the road…The Duxton Club with it beautiful Yellow Pot restaurant designed by Anouska Hempel.

An object you would never part with:

My laptop.  It’s awful to say that, because we should all take a break from technology every once in a while, but even if I’m travelling I still need to run my business. If however I want to “downscale” it’s the natty collapsible keyboard that links to my phone via Bluetooth. It’s great to stay on top of the lists, emails and social, and work discretely.

An unforgettable place you’ve travelled to in the past year?

Singapore was fantastic – it truly was unforgettable.  I was there for ILTM Asia Pacific, with Jet Candy being showcased within The Retreat space.  However, every evening we would go out and explore everything that the Lion City has to offer – sometimes on foot, and once by motorbike and sidecar.  I loved the Fullerton Hotel (https://www.fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-hotel-singapore ), which is the epitome of by-gone grandeur.  It has a sweeping front entrance with its very own roundabout, and its majestic lobby has an atrium that spans the entire length of the building.  The Fullerton is also home to the Lighthouse Rooftop Bar – in my opinion, one of the city’s best-kept secrets.  Not only does it serve some seriously good cocktails, but it also has the most unbelievable view across the horizon, taking in everything that makes up Singapore today.

My favourite website

Globetrender.com for all the sharpest travel news.

The last meal that truly impressed you?

I would go back for the breakfast served in the gardens of hotel Heureka - any day. This dish of lightly steamed vegetables is served with the most exquisite "filo d'olio d'oliva" from Venissa. These tastes first thing in the morning keep you light all day, and the "secret garden" is hard to leave, as you hear the lagoon lap against the fondamenta on the other side of the garden wall.

The biggest influence in your life?

My father –he was Dutch, international, diplomatic, charming and personable. I hope we would enjoy seeing the journey he set up to follow, getting me through school and then bringing me to university in London. Now I can look back, and also I have a son of my own, leaving me at the doors of UCL must have broken his heart…

Where would you like to go next?

I’d love to go back to Hôtel Monsieur George (https://www.anouskahempeldesign.com) in Paris, just a stone’s throw from the glowing lights of the Champs-Élysées.  I first went here for work – it’s a new boutique hotel designed by Anouska Hempel – but it’s one of those places that is simply so beautifully done that I want to return as a guest.  The décor is jade green throughout, and white on white on the top floors. The lighting is soft and natural, and everything is exemplified by gloriously sumptuous materials – think smooth piano black and emerald green marbles, thick-piled velvets, grosgrains and large mirrors reflecting it all.  The staff are that incredible mix of being at once professional but personal, with finite attention to detail assuring seamless pre-emptive service. The restaurant is a fresh gingery gourmet blend of east meets west, and the lift takes you straight down from your room to the to Le Tigre Spa – a Parisian haven…  I can’t wait to go back also as we left on March 10, when the doors closed behind us after having been open for just 4 days. We now wait for Paris to get out of their lockdown…

A recent “find”

I recently took some time off for a local “staycation” and wound up on a houseboat, on  the River Thames.  It was quite an extraordinary and profound experience – the peace, the quiet, the water gently lapping at the side of the boat.  Sometimes in the madness of your lives, you have to find a simple personal space which brings out the best in you again. Life in a frenetic city such as as London gets under your skin, so it can be a much-needed space to find to escape to, and where you can really get back to self and be quiet.

What is the best thing you have watched during lockdown?

A few very diverse titles! An incredibly fascinating wildlife documentary shot in the black of night called Night on Earth on Netflix. After Life - with an excellent, true to life Ricky Gervais, and of course I exhausted Ozark!

What are you reading?

I am currently half way through Sophy Roberts’ new book: The Lost Pianos of Siberia. She is a brilliant journalist and writer, and over the years she has been telling me about this compelling tale, which took her to this remote land a number of times, in search of these lost pianos left behind with their tales, dotted around on the map of this harsh territory.

As she says “How these pianos travelled into this snow-bound wilderness in the first place is testament to noble acts of fortitude by governors, adventurers and exiles. That stately instruments might still exist in such a hostile landscape is remarkable. That they are still capable of making music in far-flung villages is nothing less than a miracle. But this is Siberia, where people can endure the worst of the world – and where music reveals a deep humanity in the last place on earth you would expect to find it”. As you read the pages, listen to the music and join the voyage.

Next on the list has to be my go-to: GRIT by Angela Duckworth.

My son gave me this book at Christmas last year and I feel grit is something we have all had in our family as women, but there has never been anything written to quite describe this quality and tenacity. 

It is all about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that - not talent or luck - makes all the difference to how you carry on...how you approach problems, find solutions, persevere and find a purpose in your plan.

If I weren’t doing what I do…

I would probably be running a yoga retreat and involving myself with a wellness remedy / silence retreat in one way or another – maybe at our home Italy, which dates back to 1584 and which my sister and I are very slowly refurbishing…  There is still time – and we have all learnt that working remotely can be very productive, so I don't see why I couldn’t spend a bit more time in Italy. My sister and I have had such great adventures there renovating our parents period house, and experienced hosting our guests in the 3 different "settings" of the house, that we want to do more of this. "Hotelising" Casetta delle Palme in Besozzo, has been really rewarding and seeing people truly appreciate our efforts is beyond gratifying.

In my fridge you’ll always find…

Berries, lots of fresh delicious food and many goodies from Fattoria La Vialla (https://www.lavialla.it/), which is a bio-dynamic farm in the heart of Tuscany.  You can order their home-grown produce directly from their website, and take it from me – their natural ketchup (called Ketchalla) is to die for on a BBQ.  Everything they sell is completely natural, all the vegetables are grown according to the Rudolf Steiner agricultural process, and the tastes are truly divine.  There’s just nothing like it in any deli, Italian gastronomia or supermarket, and the deliveries come straight to your door, with sprigs of hay from the farm caught in the box, as they closed the lid.  

Your favourite hotel?

My all-time favourite hotel is the award-winning Capri Palace (https://www.capripalace.com/en/)– formerly the iconic Europa Palace, where I stayed on my honeymoon way back when.  Capri Palace stands majestically in the top of the island in Anacapri, at the foot of Monte Solare. Again it is just the very epitome of everything that old-Capri is about.  Secular pine trees line the sea view, and the spirit of the Mediterranean lifestyle runs right through the hotel’s whole “design-scape” and interior colour palette.  It’s an incredibly beautiful mix of the cultural and the culinary.  And the suites are just exquisite, with the most amazing views out across the crystal-clear blue sea beyond.  It’s worth every single penny to stay here, and don’t overlook a trip in a local open top taxi down to Il Riccio – a white and turquoise restaurant that clings to the rock face over the crazy deep blue sea below– and what they serve is just as exhilarating.