Three personalised aprons, two budding young chefs and one proud mum. For Vera Lee, the best thing cooking up in her kitchen is love.
In my kitchen, there is almost always food on the go. A little flour ends up where it shouldn’t. And my two boys are never far from the mixing bowl.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m Vera Lee, the cook and baker behind Vera’s Pop-Up Restaurant. But my favourite kitchen is home. That’s where Hunter, Jonah and I make a glorious mess together. Some families collect fridge magnets. We collect recipes, sticky fingers and stories worth retelling over dinner.
My little chefs have big appetites for learning
Hunter began cooking at five. He’s eleven now. Six years of cooking have taken him from steaks and Vietnamese favourites to brownies and pistachio tiramisu. And yes, he takes dessert seriously.
He dreams of Junior MasterChef one day. I love that ambition. Even more, I love seeing his love of food grow. Cooking takes patience. Waiting for brownies to cool, though? That still tests us.
His younger brother Jonah caught the cooking bug at five, too. Give him a mixing bowl or a dessert to decorate and he beams. I get the best seat in the house as they cook side by side.
Of course, three cooks can mean three opinions. I’ve learnt that a mum needs diplomacy as much as a good recipe.
Three Cargo Crew aprons, three personalities
Our personalised Cargo Crew denim aprons have made those family sessions feel even more special. Mine has “Vera” in pretty pink script. Jonah’s name is stitched in bold block lettering, while Hunter proudly wears “PJchef_Hunter”. No prizes for guessing who takes his chef identity seriously.
They look like a team uniform, yet each is our own. That’s what I love about Cargo Crew’s personalised apron range: an everyday apron can tell its own story.
Recently, we made pistachio tiramisu using our Thermomix TM7. The sweetest part was not the dessert. It was the three of us sharing ideas, tasting and cheering when it all came together.
One day, the boys may have kitchens of their own. For now, I’ll treasure these afternoons, one recipe at a time.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Our five-star family verdict
Five stars from our kitchen. An apron won’t make you a better cook. But these are now part of our family ritual. Three aprons, three personalities and a whole lot of love.
Thank you, Cargo Crew, for adding a personal touch to our family’s cooking memories.
With love, Vera, PJ Chef Hunter and Jonah.
Cargo Crew apron giveaway
We’re planning a chance to win a personalised Cargo Crew apron. Keep an eye on our giveaway post for entry instructions, eligibility, closing date and full terms before entering. The proposed steps are to like, subscribe and tag five friends.
Follow @cargocrew, @official_veralee and @pjchef_hunter for updates.
By: Vera Lee, PJ Chef Hunter & Jonah Lee – © 2026.
Read Time: 3 minutes.
Author Bio:
Vera Lee has spent much of her life making travel happen for other people. These days, she writes about the best bits, especially when lunch is involved.
Her career began at Lauda, first in reception and then in reservations, followed by reservations work at Austrian Airlines. She went on to become Online Manager at TravelEdge, lived in London and worked as an Implementation and Project Manager at BCD Travel. It was a thorough grounding in getting people where they needed to be and making sure the systems kept up.
Then came a career break and two boys, who introduced a different approach to scheduling. Departures became less predictable.
Vera remains part-owner of Royal Aquatics and is now, by her own description, semi-retired. Alongside writing about luxury travel and food for Global Travel Media, she runs Vera’s Pop Restaurant, Vera Premium Flowers and Vera’s Cakes. Retirement appears to have been given a rather generous definition.
She brings industry knowledge, curiosity and an appreciation of thoughtful hospitality to her writing. She knows good service is never an accident and that a memorable meal can justify quite a journey.
