Hey there, can you introduce yourself?

I currently live in london with my 7 year old son, but was incredibly fortunate to have been bought up on an organic estate in rural New Zealand where my mother who is a well known pioneer or organic and sustainable agriculture. She has managed to save over 800 varities of heritage fruit and veg over the past 40 years. It was in that wonderful garden that I learnt about food, where it comes from, how to grow it, how to cook it and most of all how to enjoy it.
I have always loved cooking and have been very lucky to have been able to carry that forward into all aspects of life, health , parenthood and pleasure.

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Tell us a bit about the book?

i have really come up with a selection of recipes here that are just how I love to bake at home. for me baking is at its most delicious when I am baking with seasonal fruits and different kinds of textures and flavours. I have also included flavoured yoghurts and creams, I love playing around with simple fruits and raw or in a compote and adding a rose scented yoghurt, it turns everyday food into something delicious and sublime. Of course i have also included a chapter on how to make your own herbal teas, I cant have cake with out tea, its so integral to the pleasure of eating a slice of a cake.

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What was the inspiration behind it?

My biggest inspiration has been growning up in my mothers garden, then having my own son has made me want to pass that passion on. The idea for the book came about after meeting two sisters, both of whose babies I delivered as a doula, one of them works in publishing and the other is a food photographer, we got chatting and the idea was bourne. The three of us created the book, the editor the photographer and me.

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Which is your favourite project?

That is almost impossble to say, I love all of the recipes, it really depends on the season and the ocassion, i love the comforting choc chestnut cake, the pear and buckwheat pudding cake and the sticky toffee cake.

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What is your craft space like?

I have a great kitchen, its very open plan with a great big oven, I have cooked for huge parties in my kitchen. my writing space is connected to the kitchen and could be bigger but It seems to be working quite well. I would love to have a seperate writting room one day.

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Have you always been creative?

I have always been very creative, I am at most happiest when I am creating something, I also love to nurture, so baking and cooking combines both my creative side and my love to nurture side, its a perfect combination for me.
I have been this way as long as I can remember, baking and cooking from around 6 or 7 years of age. skipping around my mothers garden picking flowers and fruits to turn into cakes.

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When did you first start crafting?

I first started cooking when i was around 6 or 7, the first things i made were drop scones, with lashings of cream and jam. I made them a lot as a child, they are a great thing to learn to make.

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Who are your crafty heroes?

Nigel Slater, Yotam Ottolenghi, Donna Hay, my Mother, Fiona Cairns, Tessa kiross.

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Where do you find inspiration?

In the seasons, farmers markets, ocassions, quite often the idea of an ocassion I would like to host inspires me to create new things.

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What's next for you?

Lots of exciting things are happeneing, but my lips are sealed...... xx