People of The Institute       Alumni Profiles         Judith Wadson   Growing up on Bermuda, Judith Wadson's first food memory was husking corn on the back steps of the family home while her brother steered live lobsters across the lawn. Indeed, the subject of her island's indigenous foods is woven throughout conversation with Wadson. "Being 650 miles due east of Cape Hatteras, we ate what was available. My family always grew vegetables, and freshly caught fish and local meats were the main sources of protein. We were so reliant on local produce that I didn't meet a blueberry until age 10." Wadson spent the first 20 years of her career as a journalist. As staff feature writer and a photographer for Yachting magazine, she traveled the world gathering information about luxury sailing charters. But, notes Wadson, "What I always found I wanted to photograph was the local food markets." Wadson enrolled at the Institute in 1995 and followed graduation with a two-month internship at Alice Waters's Chez Panisse. She worked for several years as a food stylist for such companies as Williams-Sonoma and Sunset Books and as a caterer, and published Bermuda: Traditions and Tastes in 1997, a book that is still available locally. In 1998, seeing the market in Bermuda open for creative chefs, she returned to the island to work as executive chef for a gourmet deli In 2001 Wadson decided to pursue what she had come to realize was her true passion: teaching cooking, and teaching appreciation of Bermuda's unique 'terroir.' Wadson named her new business Food Arts, and is currently in the process of building a new teaching space in Hamilton. "It's dedicated to encouraging folks to eat fresh, local and seasonal foods." She's aimed her classes at both locals (adults and kids) as well as visitors who come to learn the island's traditional cuisine. She has also developed a line of packaged foods representative of the island's produce and flavors September, 2002