Who is this FoodNerd?

– What makes you such a food nerd and not just someone who likes food?

I have a degree in Food Science and Technology, making me officially a food scientist and working as a New Product Developer. This means daily I get to wear a sexy hairnet, and lab coat and play with recipes whilst making sure they work in the factory to end up on UK supermarket shelves for everyone to enjoy. I work for a premium food company so get to work with some lovely ingredients. I was a guest on the At The Sauce podcast, listen here to hear more from me explaining my job and how I got to be a product developer.

– You seem to go on lots of holidays and trips, do you ever give your passport a rest? 

I adore travelling. I was very fortunate growing up that my parents fueled my love for travel and worked incredibly hard for our family to experience the joys of travelling. I think food and travel go hand in hand and love discovering new places, cultures and importantly new food!

– Really, how many cookery books does one girl own??

A lot is the simple answer. When moving into my flat, it took two car loads and lots of stairs to climb with armfuls of cookery books of all types. Check out my Instagram reel of how I created a rainbow bookcase with them.

– How did you get into food and blogging?

At the start of 2012, I was working on developing a lot of savoury products for work, which meant I didn’t want to look at any pastry dishes at home so in turn stopped doing as much baking. I started the blog as a way to get back into cooking and baking fun things for my friends and family. Also, I was eating at some great restaurants and wanted to share my experiences.

–  What’s the worst thing you’ve ever made?

At school for one of my GCSE Food, practical’s I made an Orange and Ginger crème brûlée. I misread the recipe and instead of adding 3 tsp of gelatine, I added 3 sachets. It had the texture of a bouncy ball and the ginger was raw and fiery. I think it might have been the only dish I’ve made that my parents haven’t managed to finish. Always read your recipes!!

– What dish or bake are you most proud of?

I was asked by my wonderful brother to make his wedding cake. He was also marrying one of my best friends so it was an offer I couldn’t pass up. I had made a wedding cake for my next-door neighbour when I was 13 so knew the pressure involved but it was so much more this time! I was proud of the clean appearance of the cake and the non-traditional colour, which matched beautifully with the bridesmaid’s dresses. Check out how I made it here.

– Have you always baked and cooked? 

Yes! Both my grandmothers were great bakers, which I think my love for baking cakes came from and my mum always made fabulous birthday cakes and meals for us. I’ve been lucky that I’ve always been encouraged to be in the kitchen and try out new recipes. You could say it’s in my genes!

Any other burning questions you have for me, drop me a line!