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Zalena Vandrewala. Why I love…

Our chair Zalena Vandrewala is featured in this months edition of Cheshire Living magazine, where she talks about loving life in Cheshire. Of course she didn’t miss the opportunity to talk about her proudest achievement – ‘playing a part in helping Women of the Year grow from 350 to just under 700 guests’.

You can read the full article here…

Zalena is a commercial litigator with Top 50 National Law Firm, Freeths LLP, around which she manages her commitment to the Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards, which is now in its 42nd year, and is set to take place in Manchester for the first time later this year.

Zalena has worked with the organisation for 20 years and has helped to grow the audience to over 600 guests, being instrumental in forging relationships with many female representative organisations to further raise awareness of women in business.

Favourite place to dine out in Cheshire?
La Boheme in Lymm – it’s a family-owned restaurant that we’ve been going for 15 years and the French food there is sublime. Favourite place to shop in Cheshire? I love to go to Nantwich. It is a thriving Cheshire market town, with regular farmers markets and a lovely vibe.

Favourite place to visit in Cheshire?
I have young children who love to be outdoors. We love spending time at National Trust estates and we’re so lucky to have both Lyme Park and Dunham Massey on our doorsteps and we spend many a weekend there.

Your favourite Cheshire landmarks?
Jodrell Bank is a happy place for us as a family, as my son simply adores anything to do with space. It is also such an iconic view, that to me, signifies I’m home.

Peckforton Castle means a lot for us as a family. We are regular visitors, and it is where I met my now sister-in-law for the first time, when my brother introduced her to his ‘big sister’. It holds special memories.

Your most recent Cheshire discovery?
The Tearoom at No.11 in our village of Audlem. It’s the perfect place to socialise or work. It’s in a gorgeous courtyard setting and it’s an independent business, which I am always keen to support. Oh and of course the tea and cakes are divine!

Your greatest inspiration?
I think the women I’ve met through the Women the Year Luncheon and Awards is the obvious answer for me. I have been involved for over 20 years and, in that time, I’ve learned about the achievements of inspirational women from every walk of life. Our country really is bursting with incredible women doing incredible things.

Your proudest achievement?
Playing a part in helping Women of the Year grow from 350 to just under 700 guests. Key to this growth has been the focus on speaking to and supporting the next generation of businesswomen, through partnerships with organisations like The Princes Trust: Women Supporting Women. I love to help and support young women on their business journeys – and not forgetting to put that ladder down to a woman that needs it.

What do you love most about living in Cheshire?
Everything! I couldn’t think of a better place to live and bring up a family. As a family we have had to rely upon the NHS and our local hospitals, including Leighton, Arrow Park and Alder Hey. I would like to highlight that they have all been simply amazing and we are lucky to have them. I also love to cook and eat delicious, varied food and Cheshire’s amazing farming community and market towns offer us the best homegrown produce.

Encapsulate your Cheshire in a single sentence
The opportunities to build businesses with its accessibility to both countryside and city makes it an ideal location for work and play.

‘Jodrell Bank is a happy place for us as a family, as my son simply adores anything to do with space’

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