Chef Melanie Burkett

chef/FOUNDER

Chef Melanie was born and raised in Johannesburg South Africa before moving to California at the age of eight. 

She embraced the California lifestyle and cuisine, learning to cook for her family at that young age. As a teenager she went on to work at cafes, restaurants and catering companies before finding a calling as an organic school lunch chef serving several private schools in the Bay Area for almost 15 years. 

At the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020, she started Inner Temple Foods, a meal delivery service that utilized local ingredients supporting farms, artisans and producers of the land and connecting them to the community in which she lives in Sonoma county. 

She has since then expanded into small events catering, private dinner parties, themed parties, cooking classes, and private chef jobs including working on yachts and farms to have a diverse perspective on food and life. 

Currently she is an active musician playing in bands, a champion for food justice, an avid forager, and dedicates her free time to volunteering at several food justice non profits in Sonoma county. 

For her, food isn’t just what she eats, but a way of connecting, learning and teaching in an ever changing world.

Melissa Axelrod

co-chef

Born and raised in San Francisco, Melissa’s culinary journey began with a deep fascination for the connection between food, community, and culture. A trip to Italy, where she attended a cooking school in Tuscany, ignited her passion for cooking.

After training at the California Culinary Academy, Melissa honed her skills in some of the Bay Area’s most respected kitchens, including Delfina, Fringale, and Ottimista. She later co-founded and solely owned Mockingbird, a beloved Oakland restaurant where she developed a cuisine philosophy she calls "Inspired by Italy, Made in California"—a celebration of fresh, seasonal ingredients and vibrant, vegetable-forward dishes.

Now, as part of Inner Temple Foods, Melissa brings her decades of experience and dedication to farm-to-table cooking to personal chef services and events. She specializes in whole foods, plant-forward cuisine that is both nourishing and deeply satisfying. Whether crafting intimate, seasonal menus for busy families or curating beautiful shared dining experiences, her approach is rooted in thoughtfulness, sustainability, and the joy of bringing people together through food.