Alchemy Academy
Alchemy Academy is a plant-based culinary school in Ubud, Bali, dedicated to teaching conscious cooking through creativity, technique, and holistic food philosophy. Founded by chef and visionary Shanti Allen, the academy blends culinary artistry, personal transformation, and sustainable living into a modern, soul-aligned educational experience.
Site: alchemyacademy.world
Founder: Shanti Allen
Photos: Levera Production
Alchemy Academy is a deeply soulful culinary school — but as the academy grew, so did its creative and operational weight. Founder Shanti Allen was holding everything: course creation, content updates, teaching, student guidance, creative direction, curriculum design, and preserving the integrity of the academy’s message. A tension emerged between vision and execution.
Shanti needed someone who could:
understand the essence, philosophy, and emotional depth of the academy
create content that felt intentional, aligned, and visually coherent
bring structure that elevated (not restricted) the creativity
design a learning experience that was clear, supportive, and transformative
act as a creative partner rather than an external collaborator
In short: someone who could hold the heart of the academy with the same devotion she did.
The Challenge
Alchemy Academy stands today with a more elevated, creative, and soul-aligned learning experience — and a strong, shared foundation for future growth.
The School — A Creative Awakening in Ubud
At Alchemy Academy, creativity is not simply taught — it is activated.
The school sits in the heart of Ubud, a place where the environment itself participates in the learning process. Here, cooking becomes inquiry, exploration, and presence. The space invites students to slow down, listen, and move with intention. And in that shift, creativity expands.
Alchemy Academy brings together international instructors alongside a constellation of local experts, each carrying their own mastery, rhythm, and relationship with the island and with food. Their knowledge is practical, yes — but also intuitive, embodied, and profoundly human.
The space is designed as a dream kitchen and creative hub:
An open, airy cooking studio where each student has their own fully equipped workstation, complete with tools, equipment, and a generous plant-based pantry.
Outdoor areas with a garden, natural light, quiet corners, beautiful bathrooms, and a refreshing swimming pool.
An upper floor dedicated to yoga, meditation, welcome and closing circles, workshops, and communal gatherings — a space that supports the holistic nature of the learning experience.
This ecosystem is what transforms the experience from a culinary course into a creative awakening.
Our Four Culinary Personas
After running several on-site courses, we realised something essential: every student who joins Alchemy is seeking transformation. What changes is how that desire shows up. To better understand and support our community, we identified four core personas—four ways people experience and approach their journey with us: The Bali Experience Seeker, The Culinary Explorer, The Transformation Seeker and The Wellness Enthusiast. Despite their differences, all four personas share the same essence: They come to learn, create, and evolve through food.
What happens in Bali cannot be replicated — it must be felt.
The Result
Together, we transformed the academy’s courses, creative processes, and pedagogical identity.
The collaboration resulted in:
A complete re-imagining of COOKED Alchemy (Level 1 & 2)
A structural and conceptual redesign of Raw Alchemist (Level 1 & 2)
Manuals that are richer, clearer, visually aligned, and creatively coherent
New interactive tools, templates, and creative exercises
A smoother workflow that allowed Shanti to refocus on vision and expansion
A deeper, more meaningful student journey where technique, creativity, and personal transformation coexist
A trusting partnership that continues to shape the academy’s educational DNA
Alchemy Academy stands today on a stronger, more creative, and more soul-aligned foundation — ready for its next chapter of growth.
In Alchemy Academy, learning unfolds on invisible layers.
Alchemy Academy Learning Paths
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The RAW Alchemist – Raw Chef Certification Level 1
A foundational journey into raw cuisine that builds confidence through technique, creativity, and sensory awareness.
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The RAW Alchemist – Raw Chef Certification Level 2
An advanced exploration of raw techniques designed to deepen skills and ignite personal creative expression.
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COOKED Alchemy – Foundations of Plant-Based Cooking Level 1
A structured introduction to plant-based cooking that develops confidence through essential skills and methods.
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COOKED Alchemy – Mastering Skills & Creative Expression Level 2
An advanced program that refines technique, expands creativity, and supports authentic culinary identity development.
Much More Than a Culinary Course
Alchemy Academy is an immersive learning experience that extends far beyond the kitchen. Each cohort meets local experts, teachers, and guides who bring Bali’s wisdom, culture, and creativity into the program.
Wild Plants & Foraging — with Made Masak: Made Masak does not simply teach cooking with wild plants; she reconnects you with the living world. Her sessions feel like entering a space of memory: culture, offering, and belonging — a reminder of our relationship with the land. Her bond with Bali — intuitive, ancestral, quiet, and powerful — infuses every step of the journey: gathering, cutting, tasting, sharing. Learning with Made is not just discovering ingredients; it is discovering a new way of seeing them.
Tempeh Masterclass — with Benny Huang|: A hands-on workshop revealing the traditional art of tempeh fermentation using local beans and ancestral methods.
Tea Making — at Made Tea: A sensory workshop exploring Balinese tea culture, blending techniques, and botanical infusions.
Human Design — with ExquisitelyJoanne: A session that helps students understand their creative energy through Human Design and how it influences their cooking style.
Nutrition & Gut Health — with Camilla Clare: A practical workshop focused on nourishment, digestion, and functional wellbeing.
Daily Yoga & Cultural Immersions: Every cohort also enjoys daily yoga, food forest visits, local markets, restaurant hangouts, and cultural experiences that vary with each group.
Each group receives a unique blend of creativity, culture, and community—making the journey as transformative as the food itself.
Carolina helped bridge the gap between inspiration and execution. She brought structure, creativity, and professionalism to our course content while staying completely aligned with the academy’s philosophy. The obstacle was finding someone who could both feel and translate the energy of the Alchemy Academy — and she did exactly that, beautifully.
Working with Carolina has been transformative. She brought a level of care, integrity, and creativity that exceeded every expectation. The content we now produce is richer, more cohesive, and deeply aligned with the soul of the academy. I feel supported in a way I hadn’t experienced before, as if a part of my own vision finally found another person who truly understands and honors it.
Two key transformations stand out for me:
The quality and depth of our course content has evolved significantly. It now reflects the true spirit of the Alchemy Academy in both message and aesthetics.
Our workflow has become smoother, more efficient, and more inspired. Carolina’s ability to take initiative and infuse meaning into everything she creates has completely elevated our creative process.
Because of Carolina’s contribution, the academy’s online courses are now at a new level of professionalism and artistic quality. The learning experience feels more cohesive and powerful for students. Personally, I’ve gained the freedom to focus on vision and growth, trusting that the heart of our message is in good hands. If I were to recommend Carolina to someone, I would say that working with her is an absolute gift. She brings not only her talent and skill, but her soul. She listens deeply, creates with intention, and serves with devotion. If you want someone who can understand your vision at its essence and elevate it beyond what you thought possible — she’s the one.
I feel endlessly grateful for Carolina’s presence in the academy. Her service, dedication, and authenticity have left a lasting imprint on our work and community. She has been more than an instructor or content creator — she has been a creative partner and a guardian of the academy’s spirit. I honestly can’t imagine how I managed before she came on board.”
– Shanti Allen